Let's Support Jennifer Lima

Fellow citizens of North Kingstown...

On Election Day in November 2020, we went to the polls in large numbers and voted for those candidates that we felt best represented our views on the issues that affect our community, state, and country. One of the contests that we were asked to vote on had to do with the election of three candidates for seats on the North Kingstown School Committee. The following are the official results from the 2020 General Election for the election of North Kingstown School Committee members:

Jennifer S. Lima (Dem) - (9069 Votes/22.7% of the total votes)

Jennifer P. Hoskins (Dem) - (8,427 Votes/21.1% of the total votes)

Jacob W. Mather (Dem) - (7,921 Votes/19.9% of the total votes)

Hannah R. Zangari (Rep) - (7,843 Votes/19.7% of the total vote)

Robert S. Jones (Rep) - (6,437 Votes/16.1% of the total vote)

Write-In Candidates (N/A) - (183 Votes/0.5% of the total vote)

Source: Rhode Island Board of Elections

On July 30, 2021, a small group of people from our town submitted a Declaration for Intent to Petition for Recall - Declaration of No Confidence in North Kingstown School Committee member Jennifer S. Lima. This filing with the Town Clerk alleges that Committee Member Lima has:

1. "Failed to put the North Kingstown School Department - as well as its students, parents and teachers -- above her individual views."
2. "Publicly shamed students, parents and teachers, and administrators for using funds for school events, as the money is intended to be used."
3. Publicly stated an opinion which is not representative of the views of her constituents."

The petitioners in this case seek to gain a sufficient number of signatures to require that recall election to be held. Representatives from this group picked up the signature pages from the Town Clerk on August 10, 2021 and have until October 8, 2021 to get the required number (3,100) of signatures to initiate a recall election.

In my opinion, this effort is being driven primarily in opposition to Committee Member Lima's efforts to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in North Kingstown's schools. Critics accuse her of promoting Critical Race Theory (CRT), which is not the fact. Jennifer's views on DEI were well known to voters before the election, during the election, and now. Those that voted overwhelmingly for her, like me, did so because of her support for DEI. We do not want to see our elected school committee member recalled.

If asked to sign the recall petition, I respectfully ask you to decline. Recalling our elected officials in this manner is not beneficial to our town, sets a bad precedent that could be used to recall other elected officials in town, and is a waste of the towns limited resources.

Bottom line: If the opponents of Jennifer Lima want someone else to be on the North Kingstown School Committee, then they should do a better job in future General Elections arguing their case to the voters.

Let's support Jennifer Lima and put this nonsense behind us.

Very respectfully,

Matthew B. McCoy

North Kingstown