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July 20. 2012 12:37AM
Hooksett school board says repeated emails harassment
HOOKSETT — School board member David Pearl is asking his fellow board members to back up their claims that his emails asking technical questions of school administrators constitute a form of harassment.
“I do take this seriously,” he said. “I know there's a lot of things that kind of get thrown back and forth on that school board, but this one is personal. It's my reputation.”
At the board's last meeting on July 11, a vote initiated by Chairman Dana Argo to prohibit board members from emailing district administrators led Argo and board members Cheryl Akstin and Trish Korkosz to say that Pearl's emails were harassing the district administration.
Pearl said he often sends emails to administrators to share facts and ask questions relevant to school board and district happenings.
“I remember them from writing them, and I stand behind the fact that I haven't written anything that was harassing,” he said.
This week, Pearl filed a request under the state's Right to Know law for copies of all emails he has sent and received since joining the board in March. He then posted a file containing the more than 300 emails to an online forum about town matters, which he manages, along with a note asking Argo, Korkosz and Akstin to point out specific messages they identified as harassment.
Korkosz, Akstin and Argo had voted in favor of the change in email policy, with Pearl voting against. Board member Mike Dubisz was not at the meeting in which the vote took place.
Argo said his motion was a direct response to Pearl's frequent emails to the district administration, which the chairman referred to as unprofessional and immature.
“Since he's been on the board, he's sent dozens and dozens of emails to administration,” Argo said. “There are times when he doesn't like the answer, so he continues to send it and he continues to send it.”
In the future, Argo said, board members will have to direct their questions to administrators in public session of school board meetings.
“That's the way it should be,” he said. “Before we had email, that's how it was done.”
Argo said that although email is an efficient tool, it keeps much of the discussion between board members and the administration out of the public view.
“Why there's so much strife among the board, people don't see that,” Argo said. “They see Dave Pearl at meetings asking these questions, but they don't realize they've been asked many, many times previously.”
Pearl, however, maintained that his questions are not being answered by school administrators, and that he will repeat his questions until he receives answers. Many of the questions Pearl posed in the posted emails related to network security and Internet usage during the district's Bring Your Own Device pilot program, which Pearl opposed.
“Many times I don't even get acknowledgment that my questions have been asked,” Pearl said. “As I stated at the board meeting, I sometimes feel I'm wasting time if I'm writing emails that aren't going to be acknowledged or answered.”
Despite Pearl's public request for proof of harassment, Argo said he has no intention of going through the posted emails, adding that board members involved in the vote already know what the messages contain.
“When you continue to ask a question that's been asked and answered, that's harassing,” Argo said. “I've been to enough bullying seminars to know that's bullying. We talk about bullying with our youngsters; this is bullying adults.”
Katie Lannan may be reached at klannan@newstote.com.
“I do take this seriously,” he said. “I know there's a lot of things that kind of get thrown back and forth on that school board, but this one is personal. It's my reputation.”
At the board's last meeting on July 11, a vote initiated by Chairman Dana Argo to prohibit board members from emailing district administrators led Argo and board members Cheryl Akstin and Trish Korkosz to say that Pearl's emails were harassing the district administration.
Pearl said he often sends emails to administrators to share facts and ask questions relevant to school board and district happenings.
“I remember them from writing them, and I stand behind the fact that I haven't written anything that was harassing,” he said.
This week, Pearl filed a request under the state's Right to Know law for copies of all emails he has sent and received since joining the board in March. He then posted a file containing the more than 300 emails to an online forum about town matters, which he manages, along with a note asking Argo, Korkosz and Akstin to point out specific messages they identified as harassment.
Korkosz, Akstin and Argo had voted in favor of the change in email policy, with Pearl voting against. Board member Mike Dubisz was not at the meeting in which the vote took place.
Argo said his motion was a direct response to Pearl's frequent emails to the district administration, which the chairman referred to as unprofessional and immature.
“Since he's been on the board, he's sent dozens and dozens of emails to administration,” Argo said. “There are times when he doesn't like the answer, so he continues to send it and he continues to send it.”
In the future, Argo said, board members will have to direct their questions to administrators in public session of school board meetings.
“That's the way it should be,” he said. “Before we had email, that's how it was done.”
Argo said that although email is an efficient tool, it keeps much of the discussion between board members and the administration out of the public view.
“Why there's so much strife among the board, people don't see that,” Argo said. “They see Dave Pearl at meetings asking these questions, but they don't realize they've been asked many, many times previously.”
Pearl, however, maintained that his questions are not being answered by school administrators, and that he will repeat his questions until he receives answers. Many of the questions Pearl posed in the posted emails related to network security and Internet usage during the district's Bring Your Own Device pilot program, which Pearl opposed.
“Many times I don't even get acknowledgment that my questions have been asked,” Pearl said. “As I stated at the board meeting, I sometimes feel I'm wasting time if I'm writing emails that aren't going to be acknowledged or answered.”
Despite Pearl's public request for proof of harassment, Argo said he has no intention of going through the posted emails, adding that board members involved in the vote already know what the messages contain.
“When you continue to ask a question that's been asked and answered, that's harassing,” Argo said. “I've been to enough bullying seminars to know that's bullying. We talk about bullying with our youngsters; this is bullying adults.”
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Katie Lannan may be reached at klannan@newstote.com.