Travis J. O'Hara: Laconia School Board chair abused her power

To The Daily Sun,

Laconia School Board Chairwoman Heather Lounsbury thinks she has the "power" to stop public comment when it does not fall into her agenda. Why does she use this newfound "power" only when it politically benefits her?

For months, we sat listening to the Laconia Democrat mob attack Dawn Johnson; the public has this right under our First Amendment. Also, a teacher verbally insulted Dawn in front of her children in a class; the SAU did nothing about it. Allowing an adult to dehumanize a child's parent must be acceptable behavior for Laconia school teachers now.

Mrs. Lounsbury thought she would use this "power" to silence the public that disagreed with the racist training materials provided during the teacher training in January. She claimed it was not on the agenda, yet the training had to do with "diversity and inclusion," which was on the agenda. Her action is an explicit misuse of power to silence people that she politically disagrees with even though the board is "nonpartisan."

"It helps ensure that our students learn about the evils of racism without teaching them to be racist," Frank Edelblut on The Right to Freedom from Discrimination.

Rep. Travis J. O'Hara

Belknap-9 (Laconia and Belmont)