The Groton Board of Education wants to impose a standard of decorum upon residents at board meetings by limiting residents’ right to complain or defame school employees.
This committee is considering a policy that would prohibit such comments from the public during board meetings and hold people legally responsible for defamatory comments, according to a report in The Day newspaper.
Patricia Doyle, chair of the police committee told reporters at The Day that they’re not trying to “stifle anyone’s free speech,” but the policy may do just that.
The report quoted Martin Margulies, professor emeritus at the Quinnipiac University School of Law, explaining that if people can praise a teacher a public meetings, then legally they are allowed to criticize a teacher.
The board will revisit the policy during their June 17 meeting.
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