MANCHESTER, NH – In a 10-2 vote, the Manchester Board of School Committee (BOSC) voted to send a letter to New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte asking her to veto a bill that could ban books considered “obscene or harmful to minors” from schools.
The bill, HB 324, would change state law to add definitions of materials considered “obscene or harmful to minors” and establishes a complaint process to enforce for individuals to request that such materials be removed from schools.
Ward 2 BOSC Member Dr. Sean Parr brought the request to send the letter forward from the BOSC Education Legislation Committee, stating that definitions within the bill are vague. Parr also said that the law would be unnecessary in Manchester given that several Manchester School District policies already address materials that parents may find objectionable in a process he believes holds far more clarity.
The lack of clarity was the primary concern for BOSC At-Large Member Peter Argeropoulos, who also serves as a school administrator in Nashua. In the past, Argeropoulos said comparably vague bills became law, leading educators such as himself to try and figure out their implementation in real-world applications, making him wonder if legislators are taking enough time to talk with educators before proposing legislation.
BOSC Vice Chair Jim O’Connell also expressed his frustration, preferring that the state legislature had spent time on improving academic outcomes and other educational improvements instead of discussion on the bill.
He disagreed with the assessment of Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais that the proposed letter to Ayotte was not constructive, stating that the bill was “an answer in search of a problem” and should be opposed.
“This is politics and it doesn’t belong in schools,” said O’Connell.
Ruais and Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. Jenn Chmiel said that they have only heard a handful of complaints related to the topics discussed in HB 324. Ward 9 BOSC Member Bob Baines said that he had never received any comparable complaints during his time as a principal at Manchester West High School in the 1990s or as Mayor of Manchester in the 2000s.
Baines’ primary concern with the bill was the state’s attempt to wrest away local control from local elected officials.
“Why do we need the state government telling us what to do?” he said.
The only votes in opposition to sending the letter came from Ruais and Ward 10 BOSC Member Joy Senecal, who felt that parents should be consulted before any board action on this matter is taken.
The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted 183-148 to adopt the 9-8 “ought-to-pass” recommendation of the House Education Committee. The roll call vote results can found on Page 120 of 2025 House Journal 10. Video of the testimony from the House Education Committee on the bill can be seen here.
In the State Senate, the “ought-to-pass” recommendation from the Senate Education Committee was adopted 15-8 on party lines with Kevin Avard (R-Nashua) absent. Video from the Senate Education Committee on the bill can be seen here.