Residents speak out in support of Lubec teacher not rehired

At the start of the May 9 Lubec school board meeting, Chairman Michael Jenkins looked over the standing‑room-only crowd and asked how many wanted to speak during the public participation portion of the meeting. When a large number of hands went up, he announced a three‑minute limit on each speaker, stating, "Personal attacks on any board member will not be tolerated."
One by one, most participants asked the board to reconsider the decision, reached during the April 25 meeting, to deny special education teacher Eleody Libby's reappointment. This decision, as previously reported, followed board member's Stephani Teslow's questioning of Libby's credentials, insisting that she was "the least qualified" of applicants for that position. AOS Superintendent Kenneth Johnson observed at that time that Libby, according to the Maine Department of Education, had passed all required tests and is "fully certified."
The first speaker read a petition, signed by all of the teachers at the Lubec Elementary School, asking the board to reconsider the denial. A series of speakers rose in support of Libby, including Sean Brailey, District 12 director of the Maine Education Association, who pointed out the statewide difficulty in hiring qualified special education teachers. No member of the public spoke in support of the denial, although two brought up unrelated subjects.
Resident Heather Tenan requested permission to read a letter from Marianne Gallant, former mentor for Libby. When she was granted permission, the letter was read to the board and the public and became part of the record. It stated that Gallant, as a "certified mentor through the Washington County Regional Support System for first and second year teachers," had observed Libby's conduct during classroom sessions and had followed her educational process, and supported Libby's confirmation. Gallant's letter stated, "In January 2019, after successful completion of all state requirements, Eleody was awarded a professional certificate" and "is currently enrolling in classes towards her master's degree." Libby currently holds a business degree, with a major in public administration.
Teacher Debbie Bousquet spoke in support of Libby, repeated Brailey's concerns about recruitment of special education teachers and suggested that "other concerns" were behind the board's position on Libby. Former school board member Danielle Caricofe observed that "it's not a personnel issue, it's a process issue."
When Selectman Joanne H. Case addressed the board, asking that the matter "be put back in discussion," Jenkins asked Johnson whether it would be possible to add an executive session to the agenda. Johnson pointed out that since the board had not yet considered whether to add to or amend the agenda that it was possible. Board member Melissa Lee moved for the addition, and Ariane Savage seconded it. The motion passed 3‑1‑1, with Jenkins voting no and Teslow abstaining.
This was the second vote in two successive meetings where a board member has abstained from casting a vote. According to the Lubec town charter, selectmen are not permitted to abstain except "when legally required to do so due to conflict of interest." However, no such prohibition exists for the school board. It was Savage's abstention during the April 25 meeting that ultimately supported Teslow's position, as there were only two votes supporting Libby's confirmation, thus not a majority of the five-person board.
According to Lubec resident Peter Boyce, a member of the 1995 committee that produced the current Lubec town charter, the prohibition on abstaining from voting was not extended to include the school board, as the town is part of a school administrative district (SAD) and is thus not subject to town governance. Lubec, he points out, is one of only a few single‑town SADs; in the case of Lubec that was done to accommodate students from Trescott. The designation stands despite the county decision several years ago to send local unorganized territory students to Edmunds, eliminating the need for the SAD status. This is confirmed by Superintendent Johnson, who points out that instead of a "12- to 15-page charter" like most towns have, a SAD is governed by Maine education law "in a four‑inch thick binder." Johnson confirms that in contrast to many towns, the state does not disallow vote abstention, but does urge an explanation for that act.
According to Johnson, the 20-minute executive session, held just prior to the adjournment, concluded with "no action." When asked whether that meant the matter was settled, he replied, "Maybe not yet."
In an interview, Libby says she "was blindsided" and questioned whether the decision was based "on issues and board position that I hold in the community which have no bearing on my job performance and qualifications as a special education teacher." She further questioned, based on her prior experience as a school board member, "if there was an issue with me, why was I not notified? They have a chain of command" to deal with personnel issues.
The issue currently is not on the agenda for the next meeting, set for Thursday, May 30.