School board candidate steps down

By Kathy Johnson

THE COAST GUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Western Shelburne County voters have one less candidate to choose from for the area’s seat on the Tri-County Regional School Board.

Murdock Forsythe withdrew from the election last week after being informed he had broken the rules by continuing to serve as a substitute teacher after filing his nomination papers.

In an interview, Forsythe said although he knew he couldn’t teach as a substitute if elected, he didn’t realize he couldn’t continue teaching as a substitute once the nomination papers has been filed and the election campaign underway.

“I didn’t know the rules,” he said, adding if he had known, he wouldn’t have continued substitute teaching.

“He didn’t do anything wrong knowingly,” said Cathy Clarke, returning officer for the Municipality of Barrington. “It was a matter of not understanding the rules.”

Clarke said the issue was brought to light through an official complaint from another candidate, adding it was a “courageous thing” Forsythe did by withdrawing his name from the list of candidates.

According to both the Education Act and the Municipal Government Act, employees of a school board are disqualified as candidates, unless they are seeking office on a different school board than the one they work for.

For Forsythe, who has taught and volunteered at the Barrington Municipal High School for more than 30 years, he is disappointed that he had to withdraw from the school board election.

“I thought this was an opportunity for me to maybe give something back,” he said. “I wanted to be a strong voice for the community so the students would get their fair share.”

Forsythe said he has thrown his support behind candidate Andrea Huskilson-Newell because her platform is similar to the one he was going to run on.