Newmarket School Board Violates Law! Lies to Citizenry!

When now Chairman of the Newmarket School Board, Mr. Gary Swanson was seeking election to the Newmarket School Board, he did so promising Newmarket voters he would bring transparency to the community. This election promise was a lie.

On May 5th, 2022, the Newmarket School Board, Gary Swanson, Chairman, violated New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law and lied to the public when they entered into a nonpublic session to discuss three candidates to fill the vacancy on the school board left by the resignation of Heather Durant.

New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law does not allow any public body to enter into a nonpublic session to discuss the filling of a vacancy on a public body; this discussion must take place in public. The public has the right to know the considerations of the board which guided their decision in filling the vacancy.

During this nonpublic session, Swanson and his fellow board members also discussed applicants to serve on the interim superintendent search committee. This discussion in nonpublic was also in violation of the law and inconsistent with Swanson’s promise of transparency.

The good people of Newmarket have been lied to, and laws have been broken, in a purposeful and shameful clandestine act by the Newmarket School Board to deprive Newmarket citizens of their rights to know what their government is up to.

When people volunteer to serve on an elected public body, they do so knowing full well the reasons they want to serve are a matter of public concern. The same is true for the public body's discussions as to why they favor one candidate over the other. There can be no excuse for Gary Swanson and the other board members robbing Newmarket Citizens of their rights.

Newmarket's newest school board member, Phil Nazzaro, did vote against entering into the nonpublic session to discuss the above-mentioned issues. He expressed his brief these were matters of public concern and should be addressed in public; good for Phil; he was correct.

Not surprising to this author, the school board voted five to zero to seal the minutes of their illegal and unethical nonpublic session, ensuring Newmarket citizens will never know what was discussed. Great job Gary Swanson!