Attorney Richard J. Lehmann has fired off another letter alleging Right to Know violations at Timberlane.
His letter ends thus: “I urge you in the strongest terms possible to come into compliance with the Right to Know law and cease holding illegal secret advisory committee meetings. In particular, I fully expect that before the Transportation Advisory Committee meets again that my client will be advised of the date, time and place of the meeting, and be permitted to attend if she so chooses.”
The letter threatens to seek an injunction against the district should they continue to hold advisory committee meetings out of the public eye. This came to a head because Superintendent Metzler has called for an emergency meeting of the Transportation Advisory Committee to discuss a controversial bus stop issue in Sandown. The superintendent has refused to allow me to participate in this meeting, a meeting that should clearly be open to me and the public. These closed advisory meetings have got to end because they are supplanting the authority of the school board and violating the public’s right to know what public bodies are doing.
Here is Mr. Lehmann’s letter in full: rtk-9-22-16
Devoted readers might remember that the suit against Timberlane brought by Sandown and Danville also cited unnoticed and closed meetings of the Sandown Schools Consolidation Committee as being in violation of the Right to Know law.
The superintendent has initiated at least 17 Advisory Committees. Some do meet in public, such as the Timberlane Parent Advisory Forum.
timberlaneandsandown 
I think you should consider opening a Patreon or other donation account. I’m certain that you will find many who are willing and able to fund efforts to run these creeps out of town! Just don’t send them south of he border. We have more than enough [edit] enterprise cloaked in government and flags to deal with right here.
Now, this gem from the Attorney’s letter which quotes Messler:
“The membership, composition and responsibilities of the committee is [sic] at my discretion”.
Shouldn’t a quality mail order degree include study of basic English grammar? [edit by DG]
Coach Metzler has a problem being a school superintendent. It is this:
He looks at everything as though it is a team sport – a very immature way to run a public entity.
His failure to work well with others is a problem for every student, parent, employee, and taxpayer associated with the District.
His idea that if you are not on his “team” means he will automatically oppose anyone and anything that gets in his way. Laws don’t matter. Policy doesn’t matter. [Nothing much] matters as long as he gets his team to the finish line.
Guys like this always fail against even token opposition if it is consistent.
He is the laughing stock of the rest of the State.
And he has more than able opposition. [edit by DG]
Are you not allowed to attend the meeting at all or not allowed to participate because you’re not a committee member?
Not allowed to attend at all.
As usual Mr. Metzler chooses secrecy over following the LAW!!! What have you to hide Mr. Metzler?
The disgusting thing is that it is so easy to be transparent, what has Mr. Metzler to lose by opening his meetings up to the public? This is not inimic solely to the SAU, many towns choose to hide discussions in non public meetings that are legally supposed to be in public as well. Just as the School Board has done many many times.
It is outrageous that the Admin feels they need to hide their actions from THEIR BOSSES, the taxpayers.
Mr. Metzler if you can not treat your EMPLOYERS with the respect they deserve, perhaps it is time to clean out your desk, so they can hire someone who will follow the law.