By Breanna Edelstein
PLAISTOW — A $95,000 settlement has been reached between Timberlane Superintendent Earl Metzler, the school district and Carolyn Morse, a Timberlane Regional High School Spanish teacher, following a lawsuit that cited First Amendment rights violations.
It was a year ago when Morse filed a complaint, saying the district wrongfully punished her for a comment she posted on Facebook.
The comment referred to foreign language consultant Elizabeth Metzler, the superintendent's wife, when high school teachers were asked to tutor a kindergarten teacher in Spanish.
"Shouldn't this be the job of the consultant and not paying us additional money that comes from the (school administrative unit)," she wrote on Facebook.
The complaint said Metzler reacted by starting an investigation, threatening Morse with dismissal via the School Board, and coaxing her into waiving her rights to a School Board hearing.
She was also stripped of her position as the coordinator for the world languages department, which came with a $3,500 stipend.
According to the school district's ethics policy, "all employees of the district are expected to maintain high standards in their conduct both on and off duty."
When asked about the situation a year ago, the superintendent said all employees are expected to follow the rules, and anyone using social media inappropriately would be held accountable.
But Morse's lawyer, Jon Meyers of Backus, Meyer & Branch, said at the time that the discipline went too far, and the district's policy cannot supersede the First Amendment.
Terms of a settlement agreement, sent to Metzler on April 28 from Primex, an insurance company, explained the details of Morse's impending compensation.
For compensatory damages, lost wages and medical expense reimbursement, Morse will receive $36,000 — $30,000, $4,500 and $1,500 respectively.
Morse's attorneys will be compensated $59,000.
A statement released with the settlement said "the Timberlane Regional School District honors the rights of its employees guaranteed by the Constitution to express themselves in their private lives on matters of public concern except in instances where that speech is unprotected."
The discipline imposed on Morse was rescinded.
"To the extent that discipline was perceived as an infringement of her rights, it was not intended as such but rather was intended to protect the privacy rights of District employees," the statement said.
Metzler and Morse both declined comment Wednesday.
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37 comments:
I heard that Metzler is circulating his resume.
Burning rubber
@ 3:48 LIBEL ALERT!
Haha getting a bit old.
Could this be another type of Atkinson "Conman" in our midst costing us so much?
Same M.O. Using their official position to silence anyone who opposes them. They are bullies.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire Supreme Court is going to hear arguments in a case brought by a former deputy Rockingham County attorney seeking unredacted records on the removal of his county attorney.
Tom Reid is appealing a Merrimack County Superior Court ruling that denied the release of redacted investigatory information regarding former County Attorney Jim Reams.
The attorney general stripped Reams of his prosecutorial powers in 2013, amid an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and mismanaging money. No charges were brought against him. A judge ordered Reams reinstated, but he resigned.
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The debate playing out in the high court centers on whether personnel files are protected as private under the Right to Know law.
Reid claims that the majority of the investigatory reports are "100 percent blacked out."
Oral arguments are scheduled Thursday.
Metzler = Good
Green = Bad and soon to be voted out.
9:45 = Sandown troll
8:26 = Donna Green = Vain
Sorry, not Donna...but thanks for the compliment!!
Metzler=want to be Napoleon but had his Waterloo!
@ 3:00 pm & 6:53 the Queen of mean Donna Green will be gone next election in a landslide can't wait to laugh myself, and then us Taxpayers will not have to deal with all the childish antics that cost us money,she is a total fool.
You keep saying that and it doesn't happen. Why don't you run against her. Your slogan can be, "vote get me, I kin do it to"
Oh well,heck we're loaded with money!!! What's 95k when we can still afford to make changes at the high schools front parking lot when we have plenty of area behind the school to the right rear side to make another parking area for students , teachers,and parents. Have you ever noticed the school front when there is a school day or activity with parking every where--even on the lawns? Spend,spend,spend we have plenty of money to go around for the local construction companies that serve our educational needs and wants. Why not a little cold patch to fill holes and crack filler in all the parking lots in comparison to a whole new hot topped lot? Just wondering is all!!!!
@ 6:23 pretty funny great line from 'Waterboy" do you realize it cannot happen until she is up for re-election after all the Bozo only won the last election barely by 90+ votes, Eric Byrent runs again he is a shoe in.
We need better schools, just read the dope above.
If you mean me then tell me what a parking lot has to do with education except to park a car or truck on the property?
6:35 refers to the dope posting above at 9:26.
Donna won't run again... She's tired and burnt out.. we get the government
we deserve...She tried... Thanks for not being a head nodder ...and Stefanie Dube,
You go girl... And to the rest of the board.... Do your job, you don't work for the
shaved one, he works for you....
Dube the Dope
she is the Donna Green puppet and a joke always stopping the meetings with babbling talk about procedure, no substance and just a Donna Green puppet.
Are you going to run so that we can see what you are made of? Not that your angry posts are hiding much....
I don't need to, we have 1311 angry voters who smashed Greens idea of leaving the district and they are watching the antics at the state level also, time to beat those Xenophobe's down like a rented mule.
The days of the old bitter fools taking over our towns is over, if you can't afford it then move, "Make our towns great again" NO more drama.
As long as that little Hitler goes away. Don't need the you know who practicing his corruption on the dark.
Oh, I can afford it but it's not worth what they charge. I want my money's worth and TRSD is over priced. Now, why don't you take your hate parade back to Sandown where it belongs. Hate gets you nothing but an ulcer.
@9:07 funny you are on a board the thrives on hate in Atkinson for years, you are exactly the type we want out of our area, time for the younger crowd who can afford it to drive out the hangers'on...out with the old and whiney cranks.
Interesting comment. YOU are on a board and you are saying hateful things! Wow. Your comment is very revealing in that you want people out of "our area". It's OURs, not yours to dictate who lives where. Lots of not younger folks can also afford to be here and will stay. Like it or not. Now, the hatred you spew here is only affecting you and those who have to live with you everyday. It isn't hurting me so you should get some help. My only concern is that you could be a danger to those around you as you have no self control and your anger runs your life. Get a grip! Everyone is entitled to their opinion but no one should be subjected to your bullying as a quasi-anonymous poster. Anger blinds.
@ 8:04 Donna Green, take a look around this board the entire thing is built on hate, sounds like you cranks can dish it out but can't take it.
Such hypocrisy by 1036!
@ 12:04 Protecting your right to hate and spew anti-town government hate are we?
I don't do that. Where in my postings do you read that? You accuse me of being Donna yet I am not and you foam at the mouth for no reason.
@7:24 Nope just one of many tired of you old cranks turning our town into Peyton Place with all the wild conspiracy theories about anyone who dares disagree with you, with this Board of hate you get to spew the hate much like Donna Green on her Blog, what a sad group of angry old bitter people you are.
I'm not old and it was Peyton Place long before I moved in. You come here because your posts wouldn't be tolerated on Mrs. Green's site, and no wonder. You can't even see how hypocritical you are causing trouble here all the time, as if it's somehow ok for you but no one else. If you can't take it, don't come here.
@2:20 Tolerated on Greens site! LOL! she comments on her own blog post, and then she only allows the comments on her blog who follow her Metzler mental servitude, a slave to her own quackery.
She's entitled to blog on her own site and she is entitled to post whatever she wants on her own site. Don't like it? Create your own blog!! Why are the little things so hard for you to grasp?
I agree with the above. The person who wrote at 3:03PM apparently has lived in such a small town with small minds that they haven't been able to grow mentally enough to realize everyone has a right to write what they want to on any site. JMHO
"Atkinson, Derry, Hampstead and Sandown reported no issues with fireworks over the weekend."
How could they sleep thru it all? The station must have thick walls.
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