Education

State Journal: An arresting candidacy; Repealing segregation

By Drew Lindsay & Meg Sommerfeld — November 23, 1994 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A write-in candidate for the New Hampshire House was arrested outside an elementary school in Walpole, N.H., for distributing campaign literature containing graphic references to homosexuality.

On Nov. 7, the psychologist at Walpole Elementary School, Peg Mulligan, spotted the Republican candidate, Andrew Cabot, placing pamphlets on cars in the school parking lot.

“She came to the conclusion it was not something any kids on the playground should see,” Principal Grant Harris said.

Mr. Cabot’s newsletter, The Walpole Conservative Republican, links homosexuality with pedophilia and sexual practices in graphic detail.

The principal called the police, who arrested Mr. Cabot. Undeterred, the candidate returned the next day, accompanied by local reporters, and was arrested again. He has been charged with two counts of criminal trespass and one of disorderly conduct.

Mr. Cabot said that his arrest violated his right to free speech and that he was being persecuted “by the liberals in power.”

Mr. Cabot’s tactics caught the attention of residents in Walpole, a rural town of 2,000, but apparently didn’t sway voters. He received only 18 votes in the House race, while another Republican write-in candiate won 406 votes, and Democrat Paul McGuirk was elected to the legislature with 793 votes.

“There have been no more confrontations,” Mr. Harris said, “and little Walpole is calm again.”

West Virginia has repealed archaic language in its state constitution prohibiting racially integrated schools. But the margin of victory--59 percent to 41 percent--was less than overwhelming, and the initiative was defeated in several counties.

Some voters--on either side--may not have understood the question. The referendum proposal a state legislator placed on the ballot made no reference to race and proposed simply to eliminate “mixed schools.”

Before the vote, the grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in West Virginia pledged to rally his members against the repeal, but most observers attributed the measure’s poor showing to its vague wording.

“Maybe some people thought banning ‘mixed schools’ would keep boys and girls from attending schools together,” said an official at the West Virginia secretary of state’s office.

--Meg Sommerfeld & href="/info-epe/staff.htm#dl1">Drew Lindsay

A version of this article appeared in the November 23, 1994 edition of Education Week as State Journal: An arresting candidacy; Repealing segregation

Events

School Climate & Safety K-12 Essentials Forum Strengthen Students’ Connections to School
Join this free event to learn how schools are creating the space for students to form strong bonds with each other and trusted adults.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Creating Confident Readers: Why Differentiated Instruction is Equitable Instruction
Join us as we break down how differentiated instruction can advance your school’s literacy and equity goals.
Content provided by Lexia Learning
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
IT Infrastructure & Management Webinar
Future-Proofing Your School's Tech Ecosystem: Strategies for Asset Tracking, Sustainability, and Budget Optimization
Gain actionable insights into effective asset management, budget optimization, and sustainable IT practices.
Content provided by Follett Learning

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Opinion The 10 Most-Read Opinions of 2023
Here are Education Week’s most-read Opinion blog posts and essays of 2023.
2 min read
Collage of lead images for various opinion stories.
F. Sheehan for Education Week / Getty
Education Letter to the Editor EdWeek's Most-Read Letters of 2023
Read the most-read Letters to the Editor of the past year.
1 min read
Illustration of a line of diverse hands holding up speech bubbles in front of a subtle textured newspaper background
iStock/Getty
Education Briefly Stated: November 1, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: October 11, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read