SCHOOL BOARD PROTEST:TWO MEMBERS of the board of management at Borrisokane Community College have resigned following the circulation of letters promoting Michael Lowry's election campaign.
Last month hundreds of students were sent home with letters in which the Independent TD claimed credit for advancing a new building project at the school and sought a No 1 vote.
The move was criticised at the time by Labour councillor Virginia O’Dowd, a member of the board of management at the VEC-run school, and a number of parents.
Mr Lowry defended his action at the time, saying it was normal practice for politicians to circulate news of their work through school students, while school principal Matthew Carr maintained nothing had been done wrong.
Board of management members Cllr Jim Casey (FF) and Canon Stephen Neill have both resigned in protest.
Mr Casey said his decision to resign came after his request to hold a special meeting on the matter was not responded to. He was “disgusted at the fact that minors were used to further political agendas by the school management”.
Canon Neill also expressed his “huge regret” in tendering his resignation from the board, but said he “felt compelled to take this action” following “the distribution of political electioneering material by minors and the subsequent refusal of the principal to acknowledge that this decision sanctioned by him was an error of judgment”.
North Tipperary VEC chief executive David Leahy defended the principal, who he said acted with “absolutely no intent in advancing one candidate over another candidate”.