NH: Department of Education requests new power: subpoenas for teachers
When the New Hampshire Department of Education investigates a teacher for a potential code of conduct violation, they send a notice in the mail. Under a new proposed law, that teacher could also be served a subpoena.
The New Hampshire Department of Education is pushing to be given the power to subpoena teachers or school district officials that it is investigating, sparking a new debate over the regulation of public schools.
Proposed legislation in the House would allow the commissioner of the department to issue a subpoena “for persons, relevant documents, and relevant items” that would help it carry out any investigation.
Introduced by Rep. Bob Lynn, a Windham Republican, the proposal is a late amendment to an existing education bill, House Bill 533. Lynn’s amendment would scrap that bill and replace it with one granting the subpoena power.
In an interview Monday, Lynn said the proposed amendment allowing the subpoenas was requested by the department.
“They say the reason they need this is that sometimes licensees and even school districts are not cooperative,” Lynn said. “They need to get documents, let’s say from a school district, and the school district just won’t provide them.”
https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2023/03/07/department-of-education-requests-new-power-subpoenas-for-teachers/
