New documents and information about the resignation of former math teacher at Fall Mountain Regional High School (FMRHS), Richard “Rick” T. Elliot Jr. have been released in a recent investigation by The Keene Sentinel. The information was released in an August 29 article in The Sentinel, laying out Elliot’s repeated sexual misconduct with colleagues. Elliot is the former curriculum director of School Administrative Unit (SAU) 6, which serves the communities of Claremont, N.H. and Unity, N.H.
The Sentinel appealed to the N.H. Supreme Court for the release of the documents. Written warnings to Elliot in 2015 and 2016 from then-Principal of FMRHS, Thomas Ronning and then-Superintendent of SAU 60 Lori Landry respectively, according to The Sentinel. The article added that as part of Elliot’s resignation agreement he was paid an $18,000 severance and it was agreed SAU 60 would not tell prospective employers of the reasons for parting ways.
Unfortunately, this happens all too often where problem employees are passed along after being discovered as repeated offenders of workplace misconduct. These folks passed on from school district to school district with no repercussions other than finding a new job. We see this in other professions as well, police and clergy being notable examples. It is frustrating to see things like this happen again and again, especially when we as a society rave about protecting the children.
I was in school as a student at FMRHS when Elliot was teaching there; I heard rumors and complaints about the way he handled himself with others. I even heard grumblings of complaints from some of my teachers and noticed the ire some had for him. So to reward this bad behavior, he receives severance and the ability to continue working in a field that he has proven over the years he should not be in?
It seems one of the prevailing reasons people, especially educated professionals, in some of these jobs get so much leeway is the fear of ruining the person’s career. Sometimes people’s careers need to be ruined; it is unfortunate but accurate. I am all for leniency and giving people multiple opportunities to correct issues; however, with more severe problems like sexual harassment, that leniency goes away mostly. People should get to correct those mistakes, depending on the severity of the incident, because crossing a line can happen and sometimes crossing a line is the only way to find those boundaries. However, a person should only get those kinds of chances once, maybe twice if they are lucky.
If it is clear that over the span of years a person’s learning curve is flat, then they need to get fired and be seen as the social pariah that they are. In any normal social interaction people who repeatedly crossed personal boundaries would be treated as such. That should apply to the workplace as well and especially in a school system where children are at risk of being taken advantage of.
The disgraced worker should not receive severance either. No other job would or should pay someone that amount of money to leave. Unfortunately, this just further proves that we as a society continue to rank the protection of women and children below the privilege of men to not suffer the consequences of their actions, which may even award these men a new job with higher pay that they may not deserve.
Timothy Fitzpatrick can be contacted at
tfitzpatrick@kscequinox.com
