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Tiverton Town Clerk Dismisses Complaint Against Fort Barton Secretary

The Tiverton Town Clerk dismissed a complaint leveled against a Fort Barton Elementary School secretary for having political paraphernalia on her desk.

 

After investigating claims that a Fort Barton School secretary was displaying political paraphernalia, the Tiverton Town Clerk dismissed the complaint last week.

The complaint, levied by Hilton Street resident Donna Cook alleged that on Oct. 25, a Fort Barton Elementary School employee had three Tiverton 1st pins on a desk.

"I was not happy to see a town school building being used to distribute campaign material from a [political action committee]," said Cook in her formal complaint. "There should be no campaign activity in our schools. The school department is in violation of the Tiverton Town Charter."

Citing Sec. 1218 of the town charter that states no town employee shall attempt to influence the outcome of an election, Cook requested a formal inquiry.

After receiving the complaint, Mello reported to Fort Barton and Pocasset elementary schools and said she initially saw no visible evidence of political propaganda. After questioning the secretary, she found one pin underneath papers on her desk.

"Once addressed, she immediately threw it in the trash and also stated she did not know who placed them on her desk," said Mell.

During a search of the Pocasset Elementary School, Mello say no evidence of political messages.

After speaking with school teachers and principals Supt. William Rearick, sent a message out to all teachers reminding them that school employees are not allowed to promote a particular political ideal or distribute political messages.Mello said the complaint lacked merit because the Fort Barton secretary did not "knowingly" violate the charter and did not know the political significance of the pins.

"As town clerk, I do not take charter violations complaints lightly and I have investigated your complaint as completely as possible," said Mello. "Nevertheless it is my conclusion that the charges in your complaint are not sufficient to support a charter violation and your complaint is dismissed.

Related Topics: Fort Barton Elementary School, Fort Barton Elementary School accused of influencing election, Tiverton 1st, Tiverton Election 2012, Tiverton Town Charter, and Tiverton charter violation

Joe Sousa.

11:06 am on Monday, November 26, 2012

We would still like to know who brought the Buttons into the school ? Clear violation of our Charter.

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OldTownie

4:41 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012

Re-read your charter.
It would be a violation if a school employee was distributing them. Not a violation for someone to leave them there. Splitting hairs? Yes. But isn't that what the TCC is all about?

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Tiverton Parent

4:41 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012

Time to move on, Joe. This whole thing was silly from the get-go, and demands for further discussion will only serve to show how petty you and the TCC are.

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KSilvia

4:41 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012

As was the TCC card pinned to the library bulletin board. Perhaps we should post guards at all public buildings during election season.

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bigmanny

7:16 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012

is it icfats that want to know or just Joe Sousa and Jethro. We would also like to know about the do nothing teachers you spoke about Joe

KSilvia

11:06 am on Monday, November 26, 2012

Thank goodness. I can't imagine how difficult this has been for this wonderful secretary. Shame on Ms. Cook.

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b kcaj

11:06 am on Monday, November 26, 2012

Just some sour grapes by a TCC lemming. Someone needs to tell this sore loser Cook that the TCC lost the election and it's time for her to move on and get over it.

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Hayley S

7:16 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012

Let's be clear-the schools violated this in the past by sending letters home with kids advocating a certain budget amount! I know parents who have copies of those letters. Also, there was an auditorium mtg. where they advocated for a certain budget, and let students know that sports, music and a school would have to be gone due to any lower budget, which was a total lie/SCARE TACTICS-probably from the Union Thug in town. This is not about helping students or we would have seen the scores go up (why Little Compton passed Tiverton by and went to Portsmouth).This is about teacher's/superintendent SALARIES. Remember when you get your next HUGE TAX INCREASE....(we better not!) the people now on the Town C. and the SChool Com. are the ones who voted for the HIGHEST BUDGETS, no matter if people were having their homes foreclosed on just due to HUGE TAX increases 2003-2010. Tiverton is a laughingstock and people won't move here due to taxes according to RE agents. These members are also the people who bad-mouthed the FTR !!!!! and then said they didn't! I can't believe it now that I think about it! I think the name is Tiverton First, which they formed right before the election too! oooh, not political or anything! What does Tiverton 1st mean anyway? Tiverton town is more important than individuals living here for years? who can't pay their bills now? Tiverton is best in schools - cant' be that! I've had it with you people. This should not have been dropped by Nancy Mello!

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Renee Cwiek

7:38 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012

How does anyone even know it was someone from the school? Maybe it was a parent? I have a couple of those pins myself. People are assuming an awful lot.

Joe Sousa.

7:17 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012

Richard aka b kcaj, the complaint was filed before the election . Tell us how it's sour grapes ? The person who brought these buttons to the School did so in Violation of our Charter. That's the fact that is over looked.

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Tom

3:09 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012

It's sour grapes after you lost and are still asking about an incident that the Town Clerk investigated and found there to be no merit in carrying the incident forward.

What is I C Fat have to say about this situation. Also, is Jeff Caron still a member of Fat?

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bigmanny

3:08 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012

I really doubt this would be an issue with you Joe if the button had been TCC or some other anti-intellectual claptrap that you hold in such high esteem. Not to mention that you seem to have no problem trampling on the free speech and expression rights of all town employees. Joe the reason get elected and will never be taken seriously is because you lack common sense, decency and respect for the truth. Those things combined with your past left you unelectable in this town.

Just Another Taxpayer

7:17 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012

b kcaj, don't forget the complaint was filed prior to the election. Nelson and Coulter thought they would be reelected and this "complaint" was to serve as a continuation of their ongoing assault on the School Department. Fortunately, voters saw fit to throw these two out of office. I can't wait to see if Lambert or Chabot will make an issue of this at tonight's Town Council meeting.

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Beelzebub

12:39 am on Wednesday, November 28, 2012

NANCY MELLO IS A DEMOCRAT. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT SHE WAS GOING TO DO?

jen

7:17 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012

Get a life and mind your business!

This is such a ridiculous complaint. There are so many more important issues in life than this one. Who cares what someone has on their desk. Why was someone eavesdropping on another persons desk? What a coward! This Town Clerk had an obligation to suggest the items be put away. A very simple solution. Instead, this nosy busybody escalated the issue at the highest level of solution instead of the lowest. Everyone can see the trees through this Forrest. This is about power and control, and "I'm gonna tell on you!" This Town Clerk may be right, but the manner in which their behavior was conducted was shameful. Some people just eat stones for lunch and love to be nasty to everyone. Too bad these folks represent our Town.

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b kcaj

3:08 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Next thing you know, Donna Cook and Joe Sousa are going to start hiding in the bushes outside the high school wearing camouflage clothes trying to identify the 12 "do nothing" teachers that Joe has been complaining about for years.

Tcc sour grapes at it's worst.

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Just Another Taxpayer

11:09 am on Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Haley S, everyone is entitled to have an opinion regarding various issues. However, please note that the teachers and superintendent are the lowest paid in the state. Second, several well known real estate agents support the TCC philosophy.

You can have your opinion, but please keep the facts straight!

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Just Another Taxpayer

4:35 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Does anyone know what happened at last night's Tiverton Town Council meeting?

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Tiverton Parent

4:43 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012

They chose not to take further action. Let's hope we're done hearing about this fiasco and keep the legal fees down for a change. It's written up on eastbayri.com.

Tiverton_Red

12:39 am on Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Did the new council lift the TCC-implemented gag order, preventing department heads from talking to the press?

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Jim L

12:39 am on Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Lets ALL devote everything to stopping the TOLLS the state is trying to sandbag us, Elections are over, time to stop something harmful to all of us

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