Politics & Government
NH Democrat Chairman: Schools Must Keep Secrets Or Parents Will 'Beat Their Children To Death'
Ray Buckley made the comments after the Manchester School District was sued it refused to inform a parent about a child's gender ID.

The chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party claimed Friday that if public schools inform parents about their children’s behavior regarding gender issues or any counseling they have received, some of those students will be “beaten to death” by their moms or dads.
Buckley made his comments on Twitter in response to New Hampshire Journal’s coverage of a mother who took the Manchester School District to court when the school refused to inform her about her child’s on-campus behavior. Judge Amy Messer ruled in the district’s favor.
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“(T)he right to make decisions about the care, custody, and control of one’s child is not absolute,” Messer wrote.
On Thursday, NHJournal reported on a press conference held by GOP congressional candidate Karoline Leavitt outside the district’s headquarters, denouncing both the policies and the Democrats who support it. Her opponent, Rep. Chris Pappas (D) voted on Thursday to kill a proposal requiring schools that receive federal funds to inform parents about counseling they receive at school.
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“Parents have an inalienable right to know what’s going on in their child’s classroom, and in Congress, I will proudly support legislation to enact a federal parental bill of rights,” Leavitt said. “I will always ensure that Granite State moms and dads feel heard at the highest level of our government. That is why I am here today, and I will always put parents over politicians.”
Friday morning, Buckley tweeted to NHJournal: “You’re purposely going after children, endangering their lives, mental health & safety & its disgusting. Not all families are the same, some kids will be kicked out or beaten (to death), or commit suicide. All to try to get votes for Karoline?”
The reaction from New Hampshire Republicans was immediate.
“The Biden administration labeled parents as ‘domestic terrorists,’ and now the chair of the New Hampshire Democrat Party is claiming Granite State parents beat their kids to death,” said Leavitt. “The Democrats’ hatred for parents who simply want to be involved in their children’s education is disgusting. It’s rooted in the fact that Democrats like Chris Pappas are funded by powerful teachers unions who want total control over our public education system. While Pappas continues to side with Joe Biden and radical bureaucrats, I will continue to stand with Granite State mothers and fathers.”
“I think Ray Buckley’s comments are reprehensible and an insult to parents,” said Bob Burns, the GOP candidate challenging Rep. Annie Kuster, who voted with Pappas to kill the parental notification bill. “Education in New Hampshire is and should remain local, and parents should have oversight into their child’s education.”
“Parents have a right to know what’s going on in and outside the classroom,” said the NHGOP via Twitter. “This is disgusting. Your NH House Dems voted for this!”
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This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.