By Beth Brogan, Times Record Staff
Published:
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 2:13 PM EST
BRUNSWICK — A month after an e-mail from School Board chairman Byron Watson to House Speaker Hannah Pingree was deemed “inappropriate” by local legislators and others, At-large School Board representative Michelle Small on Wednesday will ask board members to reconsider Watson’s election as chairman.
According to the agenda for Wednesday’s regular meeting, the board will “consider a motion to reconsider the election of the chair for 2010.”
On Monday, Small confirmed that she requested the agenda item, but declined to comment further on the issue.
The request follows a Feb. 5 e-mail from Watson to Pingree requesting assistance with what he said were “overly disproportionate, ridiculously excessive and just unbelievably unequal” cuts to state aid to the Brunswick School Department for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
In the e-mail, Watson wrote that Pingree was “gorgeous,” adding, “I’m not writing to hit on you, though.”
Local legislators subsequently took issue with Watson’s choice of words, which Rep. Alexander Cornell du Houx, D-Brunswick, called “unfortunate” and “inappropriate.”
At a subsequent School Board budget workshop attended by Brunswick’s legislative delegation, Watson apologized for the e-mail. “There was absolutely a miscalculation in a complimentary icebreaker to a very intelligent lady,” he said, in part. “And even though my counterpart in this has not shown any ill will, the people need to know that no malice was intended in the substandard selection of words. It will not happen again.”
Details The agenda item request follows a Feb. 5 e-mail from Byron Watson to Hannah Pingree requesting assistance with what he said were “overly disproportionate, ridiculously excessive and just unbelievably unequal” cuts to state aid to the Brunswick School Department for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
In the e-mail, Watson wrote that Pingree was “gorgeous,” adding, “I’m not writing to hit on you, though.”
Watson’s colleagues on the School Board have little to say publicly on the matter.
Phone calls and e-mails sent Monday to board members Marybeth Latti of District 2, Matt Corey of District 3, Janet Connors of District 6 and Michele Joyce of District 7 were not returned by press time today.
District 5 representative Jim Grant declined to comment on the agenda item. District 4 representative Corinne Perreault said she had spoken to several board members about the item. “I think we’re all trying to come up with what we feel is best,” she said.
At-large representative Jack Jones said Monday that he received “a lot of e-mails, mostly negative, and some positive” about the issue, but he also declined to comment further.
Watson, however, wrote in an e-mail to The Times Record on Saturday that he will not resign as chairman. “You don’t get anywhere by continuously giving the school yard bully your lunch money. I will not compromise my principles or the future integrity of the board by caving into a political smear game. There is a lot of work to be done for the people of Brunswick and that is my focus.”
He wrote that the board must “bring closure to this ridiculous matter,” adding, “I feel confident that a strong majority of the board would rather focus on saving jobs than political games.”
All of the legislators who criticized Watson are Democrats. In the past, Watson worked for Republican legislative candidates.
“From the moment these politically motivated attacks started, all the way to this coming Wednesday’s meeting, we will have had two regular board meetings, three budget workshops, and one special workshop with the entire legislative delegation,” Watson wrote. “While cruel and unusual punches are being thrown my way, I have continued to work relentlessly for the children of Brunswick. I was born in Brunswick, raised in Brunswick, educated in Brunswick, and I strive to serve to people of Brunswick.”
Prior to the School Board’s regular meeting, the board will hold a workshop at 6 p.m. to hear from Superintendent Paul Perzanoski about his suggestions — likely to include staff reductions — to address a 2011 budget gap now anticipated to be between $3.5 million and $3.6 million.
