Concord City Council Issues Statement About Leung Case, Schools

CONCORD, NH — At the end of a nonpublic session "non-meeting" Monday, that ultimately led to an announcement about the release of future information about a contract negotiation, the Concord City Council issued a statement concerning the upheaval in the Concord School District in the wake of the Primo "Howie" Leung teacher-student rape case. Unlike nearly every other community in the state and the nation, Concord has a school district that runs autonomously and levies taxes on its own – without oversight by a municipal body, like a "strong" city mayor, council, or town meeting. So, councilors in Concord and the city manager have no role in anything the school district does.

At the same time, many members of the community have been asking councilors to comment publicly about the crisis within SAU 8, which has included internal investigations, the placement of both the school superintendent and high school principal on paid leave, and a credentialing scandal involving administration staffers – including the assistant superintendent who was slated to take over the district in the wake of the paid leave announcement of School Superintendent Terri Forsten.

After holding a roll call vote of attendance, Mayor Jim Bouley announced that At-Large City Councilor Amanda Grady Sexton, who is also the director of public affairs for the NH Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, would read a statement on behalf of the council concerning the turmoil inside the district.

"In light of the recent and ongoing public discussion regarding student safety in Concord’s public schools, it is important that the community know that the Concord Police Department has conducted a thorough and complete investigation into former Concord school teacher Primo “Howie” Leung, and criminal charges are currently pending in Massachusetts," she said. "The Concord Police Department is actively engaging with Concord schools to ensure the safety of all Concord students."

Grady Sexton added, in order to assist police and educators in preserving student safety, anyone who has concerns for a child's safety, in or outside of the school system, should contact Concord police.

"Although the City Council does not have jurisdiction over the Concord School District, the safety of our students and public trust is a primary concern of ours, and we will continue to prioritize the public’s safety," she said.

After the statement, the meeting was adjourned. Councilors chose not to speak about the district situation after the meeting, letting the board's statement speak for itself.

Leung is accused of sexual assaulting a teenage girl, a student at Rundlett Middle School at the time, in Massachusetts, while hosting an English Language Learners summer camp at the Fessenden School in Newton, Massachusetts, in 2015 and 2016. The multi-month investigation into Leung occurred after he was accused of kissing and hugging another student at a traffic stop on East Side Drive near I-393 in December 2018. Leung was put on a professional improvement plan and allowed to stay in the classroom for a number of months until Forsten met with the New Hampshire Department of Education for a second opinion about the district's investigatory materials of the case. The board of governance at the department handed over the materials to the Concord police and an investigation ensued, leading to charges in Massachusetts.

While charges have been filed against Leung in the Bay State, the case against him in Concord is currently still open, according to police, who have also stated previously they believe there could be more victims in the community who haven't come forward.

Anyone with information about the case are encouraged to contact police at 603-225-8600 or leave an anonymous tip at the Concord Regional Crimeline at 603-226-3100.

ALSO READ:

• Former Rundlett Assistant Principal Not Credentialed For 12 Years
• Leung Report Release Could Be Embarrassing, Humiliating: Attorney
• Parents To Concord School Board: Fire Assistant Superintendent
• Mom Accuses Concord Teacher Of Trying To Groom Daughter In 2011
• Concord School District To Conduct Full Staff Credentialing Audit
• Second Concord School Employee Found Not To Be Credentialed
• Credentialing Of Concord's Acting School Super Could Take Months
• Concord Police Chief Says He'd Like To See School Investigation
• Acting Concord School Superintendent Not Credentialed With NH DOE
• Concord Superintendent Forsten, Principal Sica Placed On Leave
• Concord Board Of Education Considering Personnel 'Next Steps'
• Concord Board Of Education Members Eyeing Investigative Report
• Parents, Students Vent About Issues With Concord School District
• Concord School Board To Update Public About Investigation Tuesday
• Concord School Superintendent: Letter To Staff 'A Serious Error'
• Petition To Remove Officials From Concord Schools Cracks 2,000
• Concord School Board Holds Emergency Meeting Sunday With Counsel
• Online Petition Launched To Have Concord School Officials Removed
• Concord Superintendent Lashes Out At Media Coverage Of District
• Concord School Board To Revise 'Professional Expectations' Policy
• Concord High School Principal Takes A Leave Of Absence
• Labrie's Former Counsel Not Hired To Probe Teacher Rape Case
• Concord School Board Opens New Investigation Into Leung Rape Case
• How A Distinguished Concord Teacher Became A Student Rape Suspect
• Students Saw Concord Teacher Kiss, Hug Another Student: Docs
• Should The Concord School District Have Responded Faster To Case?
• NH Teacher Held Without Bail After Bay State Arraignment
• Concord Teacher Accused Of Raping Student In Newton, MA
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