Concord Superintendent Lashes Out At Media Coverage Of District

CONCORD, NH — Concord's school superintendent has come under fire during the past 24 hours by some members of the community for a letter to employees criticizing media coverage of the district in the wake of the arrest of a distinguished SAU 8 educator on rape and fondling charges as well as a leave of absence taken by the high school's principal. Dr. Terri Forsten, in the letter to staffers, said she was "impressed by the dedication" of the Concord School District's "professional school community" in the wake of the arrest of Primo "Howie" Leung on numerous charges in Massachusetts and the leave of absence taken by Tom Sica, the principal at Concord High School, who targeted a student who came forward about concerns about Leung when Sica was the principal at Rundlett Middle School. Forsten, however, then lashed out at "the local newspaper," the Concord Monitor, as well as "social media," for offering "a dribble of articles and posts that have presented singular perspectives and have negatively impacted some of the community's viewpoint of our schools and work."

Forsten and the district were refusing to engage in the media coverage, calling it "a full-time job" that would "very likely garner an increased number of negative responses." Instead, Forsten and the district "have chosen a different response," looking at policies and procedure that support "a safe environment for teaching and learning and safe schools" for students.

"We have chosen to put energy into moving forward," she added.

Part of that "dribble of articles" have been interviews with the girl, who was targeted when she spoke out about Leung, as well as comments by parents, school board meeting coverage, and court coverage of his proceedings in Massachusetts by both full-time and freelance journalists at the Concord Monitor, as well as investigative pieces and follow-up stories published on Concord NH Patch, unveiling both professional and legal negligence and malfeasance by some past and current administrators and school leaders that otherwise wouldn't have been uncovered had the stories not been published.

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The letter prompted a fast rebuke from members of the Concord community on Facebook, including some closely connected to the incidents who shared a screenshot of the letter. Parents stated that Forsten's comments challenged the trust the district is trying to rebuild with the community in the wake of the allegations, as well as the administration not acting properly to investigate them in the first place.

The letter also didn't sit well with the organization that is assisting the district in working with educators on these issues.

Part of the new policies, procedures, support, and moving forward entail training that educators will be undertaking with the assistance of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence on Monday and Tuesday, which is why the opening of the 2019-2020 school year was delayed this year.

One of the members of the training is Linda Douglas, a trauma informed specialist with the Coalition, who will be working with Stephanie Arroyo, an education coordinator with the Granite State Childen's Alliance, and Monica Panait, a senior risk manager with Primex, an HR firm, to educate employees about the signs of trauma with sexual assault, to know how to protect from incidents, as well as harassment in the workplace.

Forsten's letter, however, sparked negative statements from members of the Coalition.

"We agreed to provide this training because the safety of children in schools is paramount," said Lyn Scholett, the executive director of the NHCADSV. "We stand with parents who want to prevent future assaults and make sure that schools respond appropriately to abuse and violence. We are deeply concerned that the school has minimized this series of events in its letter by focusing on the 'dribble' of media coverage rather than being truly accountable for the series of crimes happening on their watch."

Amanda Grady-Sexton, the director of public relations for the organization, a Concord city councilor, and a parent with children, called the letter "shocking" since the administration can't really move forward because it had not addressed or evaluated everything that went on during the past five years concerning Leung, Sica, and the two victims that investigators know about.

"I have concerns about the administration’s ability to ensure the safety of children in the Concord School District," she said. "If this letter truly reflects the attitude of the leadership, then no revised policy can make a difference. Real change can only begin when the school is willing to commit to full transparency and accountability for the past. Until then, I hope the community will turn this 'dribble' of outrage into river of action."

Kate Frey-Goble, the mother of the girl targeted by Sica when she came forward to discuss what she believed were uncomfortable relationships Leung had with girls at Rundlett a number of years ago, said she and her family were, like many other members of the community, "extremely disappointed with the tone of" Forsten's letter.

"These 'singular perspectives' were first-hand traumatic experiences of victims of sexual assault and harassment, students who had the courage to say something when they saw something only to be undermined, discredited, and in some cases punished (as was the case with our daughter Ana), and outraged community members who spoke out against an establishment that was supposed to keep their kids safe," she said in an instant message to Patch. "The 'negative impact to the community's viewpoint' was not caused by these perspectives but by an administration that from the very beginning has refused to take ownership and responsibility. Our community and our kids deserve so much more."

Forsten did not return an email seeking comment about the letter. She has also not responded to numerous requests for information and statements about the state of the district and the Leung investigation.

Ernesto Burden, the general manager of the Concord Monitor, also didn't respond to an email or phone call seeking comment.

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