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N.H. Board Of Education "Deeply Disappointed" By DOE Spokesman's Comments

The State Board of Education has released a statement regarding recent Facebook comments made by a Department of Education employee.

Last week, Anthony Schinella, the department's communications director, made posts criticizing a gathering of state business leaders focused on diversity in the workforce. 

He wrote that increased diversity could bring more crime and create a "cesspool." 

The Board said it's "deeply disappointed" by the comments and that "our public schools are and ought to be welcoming to everyone." 

Drew Cline is the board chair. He said he was stunned by Schinella's post.

"It portrayed, by association, the education system in New Hampshire in a very negative, unwelcoming way, which is exactly the opposite of everyone I've talked to in this system," Cline said.

But, the Board doesn't have authority over department employees. In their statement, they noted that they trust the Department of Education is taking appropriate action. 

Daniela is an editor in NHPR's newsroom. She leads NHPR's Spanish language news initiative, ¿Qué Hay de Nuevo, New Hampshire? and the station's climate change reporting project, By Degrees. You can email her at dallee@nhpr.org.
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