Peterborough’s Deputy Town Clerk has resigned, and is bringing a lawsuit to the town over her alleged treatment at the hands of her supervisor, Town Clerk Linda Guyette. The Deputy, who the Ledger-Transcript is not naming due to her claims of victimization, had reported Guyette had been hostile and neglected to train her, according to a third-party investigation which wrapped up in early August.
The Deputy Town Clerk resigned between Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, based on a letter to the Secretary of State’s office from Select Board Chair Tyler Ward. Her legal representative, Chuck Douglas, sent a notice to Town Administrator Rodney Bartlett on Tuesday, which said his client “will be filing a lawsuit as a whistleblower for the miserable treatment she endured at the hands of Town Clerk Linda Guyette.” The lawsuit is expected to be filed next week, Douglas said on Wednesday.
The resignation and pending lawsuit follows a review of the situation by Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan, who previously expressed concern over the conflict’s potential impacts on Guyette’s ability to carry out her duties related to the November elections. In a letter to the Select Board on Sept. 28, he said his concerns were based on a June 30 statement from the Deputy Town Clerk to the NH City and Town Clerks Association that said “I was told by Nicole MacStay, Deputy Town Administrator, that Rodney Bartlett, Town Administrator is my boss and not Linda.” In his letter Scanlan urged that “all records concerning requests for and processing absentee ballots must be returned to Linda’s sole possession and control immediately.” He also strongly recommended the town support Guyette in obtaining enough support staff to complete election duties.
“To the extent there are any lingering personnel issues related to the job performance of the town clerk, the voters in Peterborough will have their say the next time the clerk is up for election,” he said. Guyette was satisfied with the absentee ballot process after a meeting with the Town Moderator, Select Board member Ed Juengst, and MacStay on Sept. 25, Ward said in his Oct. 2 letter to Scanlan.
Guyette could not be reached by deadline to say whether she would be hiring a new Deputy Town Clerk prior to the elections. When asked why the Select Board hadn’t discussed the investigation results as they said they would in an Aug. 21 letter where they asked Guyette to resign in exchange for confidentiality, MacStay said “The Select Board and Town Administration have no further comment on the Leddy Group report. Providing the citizens of Peterborough with a fair and well-run election on November 3rd is the Select Board’s highest priority at this time.” MacStay did not provide the specific date the Deputy Clerk resigned.