Brentwood Newsletter under fire again after publishing 'inflammatory' opinion

BRENTWOOD — The town-funded Brentwood Newsletter is again sparking outrage for its opinion content after a letter in the latest edition claimed the state Democratic Party supports "the grooming of 4- to 10-year-old children on sexual orientation and gender identity."

The letter titled "Had enough?" appeared in the November issue of the volunteer-run newsletter ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

It was written by Jim Berlo and Jim Johnson in support of Brentwood's two Republican state Reps. Melissa Litchfield and Josh Yokela and against a Democratic challenger in which they write "supports teachers educating grades K-3 in the fine art of radical 'sexual orientation and gender identity.'" They go on to write, "This is sick."

Several members of the Brentwood Selectboard expressed concern with the content of the letter during a Nov. 29 discussion with the Brentwood Newsletter staff regarding the publication's proposed budget for the next year. The board talked about pulling the $17,574 the town provides to the nonprofit organization unless there is a signed memorandum of understanding between the town and the Newsletter that stipulates what kind of content is included in the newsletter.

"This is not freedom of speech…," said Selectboard member Russ Kelly, who would like to see the opinion section removed from the Newsletter. "This is inflammatory language. It doesn't matter that it's someone's opinion. They can express that opinion anywhere. They can stand up here (at the meeting) and do all they want without town money assisting them in getting that opinion out. That's what we are talking about."

Kelly said the letter was a "double attack."

"It's an attack on educators and it’s an attack on LGBTQ people," he said, referring to the recent shooting at the gay Club Q in Colorado Springs that killed five and injured 17 others. "And it's unacceptable in a product that is supported with dollars from the town."

The conversation resurrects a prior town debate on freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and whether it applies to an independent publication where funding is provided by the town. The funding strictly goes to the printing, postage, and distribution of the Newsletter to Brentwood residents. The publication has operated separately from the town by non-paid volunteers since it was created in 1977 by Linda Rousseau.

This isn't the first time the Brentwood Newsletter has come under fire

Last year, several residents blasted the publication for publishing an editorial by Richard Gagnon titled "Racism: From a White Man's Perspective." The article criticized Black Lives Matter and questioned whether systemic racism exists. The opinion piece was called racist by some community members.

The opinion piece also brought up prior concerns with the Newsletter.

In 2019, the town’s Democratic Committee accused the publication of political bias after it printed voting records with slanted descriptions of the bills that were lifted from Granite Grok, a right-wing conservative website.In response to the criticism, the Selectboard decided to pull the publication's funding and go to Town Meeting voters to see whether they wanted to continue supporting it.

The majority of voters (105-61) voted in March to fund the Newsletter for the remainder of the year without a signed memorandum of understanding with the town, which the Selectboard had hoped to have in place. They also supported a second warrant article to have the funding put back in the budget next year. That article, however, was advisory and doesn't bind the board.

'Divisive, damning, problematic' opinions should not be in a town newsletter

Kelly said while he voted to support funding then, he told the board he can't do it now.

"I am firm in my belief there should be no opinion section in the Newsletter," he said at the meeting, calling what he read "divisive, damning, problematic."

"I understand the Newsletter doesn't want the town to tell it how to operate," he said. "We got the message clear last time … But I cannot be a yes vote going forward unless something changes fundamentally with the Newsletter."

Selectboard Chair Andrew Artimovich told his fellow board members the Brentwood Newsletter gives him nightmares.

"The town is so divided about the Newsletter. Half the people want it the way it is, and half the people want a different version. It's divided, just like the elections in November," he said alluding to the split between Democrats and Republicans in town.

Brentwood, once a Republican stronghold, has become more purple in recent years. Republican incumbent Melissa Litchfield was defeated by Democrat Eric Turer by a vote of 1,231 to 1,208 after a recount of the Nov. 8 election.

"My personal opinion is the Newsletter is a newsletter," Artimovich said. "It gives news about the town … What's the Fire Department doing? What's the Police Department doing? What's the Boy Scouts doing?

Jim Hajjar, representing the Brentwood Newsletter, however, said even that information could also be considered "opinion."

"We have (contributions) from the Selectboard in which some cases what is written up is an opinion," Hajjar said. "Where do you draw the line?"

Another view: Diverse opinions further democracy

Hajjar told the Selectboard he believes criticism regarding the Newsletter comes from people "who don't like seeing alternative opinions." With or without the Newsletter, he said there will still be a division in the town.

"There is division, yes, but the only way we are going to solve this is by communicating and talking," he said. "And I think if people are allowed to share their views, that's how we are going to get together and work through some of these difficult problems."

Hajjar told the Selectboard that everyone is welcome in town to submit a letter. All submissions appear on a page marked opinion which states, "that the views shared in this publication should not be construed to be the official opinion of the BNL, nor reflect the official policy or position of the Town of Brentwood." It goes on to state, "unless otherwise noted, the words you read are solely the opinions of the writer(s) and are not intended to malign anyone or anything."

"If someone says you’re not fact-checking or that's not true or this and that, I think of a quote from Obi-Wan Kenobi because as a Jedi, he's the best," Hajjar said. “He told 'Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. The truth is often what we make of it; you heard what you wanted to hear, believed what you wanted to believe.’”

He said if people disagree with a letter, they can respond by writing one of their own.

"Opinion vs. fact is a complicated thing," he said. "We don't have a Harry Potter ministry of truth that is going to go with a wand and say, ‘That's true. That's false.’ It doesn’t exist."

He said the "wrong approach" would be to eliminate opinions altogether. Without opinions, he said, the Newsletter loses a lot of its power.

"We as a group are working hard," Hajjar said. "We want to become more (about) bringing people together and not separating people off where they are just talking amongst themselves and sharing the same thoughts."

What happens next?

The Selectboard voted unanimously to put the money for a newsletter in the town budget, but it doesn't necessarily have to go to the Brentwood Newsletter.

Selectboard member Jennifer Jones' motion stated if an agreement cannot be reached with the Brentwood Newsletter then the funding can be redirected to another vendor to provide a town newsletter.

Selectboard member Robert Mantegari was the sole member to speak in support of keeping the opinion section in the Brentwood Newsletter. "Having opinion pieces, whether it’s in the Exeter News-Letter, Portsmouth Herald or the Brentwood Newsletter, I think is important (for people) to get their voice out and express their own thought process and ideas," he said at the meeting.

The board was scheduled to meet with the Newsletter staff Tuesday in nonpublic to come to terms with a memorandum of understanding.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Brentwood Newsletter under fire after publishing controversial opinion