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Officials defend the right to appear in political ads, but there's controversy nonetheless.

By SCOTT MONROE, Morning Sentinel October 26, 2009

NEWPORT — Since the advertisements starting airing earlier this month on television, Arnold Shorey, assistant superintendent of Regional School Unit 19, said he and other administrators have received about a dozen calls and e-mails "from both sides" of the issue.

That's because two Nokomis Regional High School employees appeared in separate commercials with opposing views on Question 1, which asks whether to repeal Maine's new same-sex marriage law.

Both said they were expressing their views as citizens, not as Nokomis employees.

"It's a good civics lesson about the First Amendment," Shorey said. Neither employee represents the opinion of Nokomis Regional High, nor the district, he said, "but they certainly have the right to express their views. As long as it doesn't interfere with educating our students, there are no problems."

But the commercials have raised questions about the involvement of schools in the already contentious same-sex marriage debate. The state's same-sex marriage law has no bearing on what can be taught in public schools, Attorney General Janet Mills has said in a recent ruling.

First appearing in an advertisement last month for the "No on 1" campaign, Nokomis literacy coach Sherri Gould was included briefly to rebut claims that same-sex marriage would be taught in public schools if the law were not repealed.

Gould is a former chairwoman of the English department at Nokomis, but it was only her designation as Maine's 2005 Teacher of the Year that identified her in the commercial.

"I've been teaching in Maine since 1983. We teach respect and Maine values. That will never change," she says.

In response, supporters of Question 1 aired another commercial that included Donald Mendell, Nokomis' school social worker who serves as a guidance counselor to students. He refers to Gould, who he has known at the school for more than 20 years, as a "gay activist already pushing this type of agenda."

"Vote yes on Question 1 to prevent homosexual marriage from being pushed on Maine students," he says.

Cecelia Billington, 17, a junior at Nokomis, said she thought it was "pretty cool" when she saw Mendell, her counselor, in the TV commercial. At first, Billington said, she didn't understand what the commercial was about, but realized by the end.

She agreed with Mendell. "People of the same sex should not get married," she said.

James St. Michel, 16, a junior at Nokomis, said he didn't think the commercials have had any impact on at the school.

"I'm kind of neutral," St. Michel said. "I'm comfortable we can all express our opinions, as long as it's not in the classroom."

In a letter sent to a local couple who complained about Gould's advertisement, Shorey wrote that, "in consulting with our school lawyers, our contract does not permit us from legislating what a teacher can and can not do politically. She was not portrayed as a Nokomis teacher but as 2005 Teacher of the Year."

Gould said her commercial, which was requested by the group Protect Maine Equality, was filmed inside a classroom at Nokomis High. Gould said she obtained permission from the principal, Mary Nadeau, who had permission from the superintendent, William Braun, to use one of the classrooms.

Barbara Bell of Palmyra, who supports Question 1, was among those who complained to school officials about Gould's commercial, in part because of the classroom setting.

"It tells you this gay agenda is being pushed in our public schools," Bell said. "It just sends a signal this is going to be taught. Why would a teacher film something like that?"

Lougean Reheuser of Palmyra, who has children in the school system, said both Gould and Mendell were wrong to appear in the ads.

"I don't care what side of the issue you're on," Reheuser said. "None of them should be sitting in a classroom, even though they didn't mention the name. When one...