WATERVILLE, Maine — Waterville Public School officials plan to consider requests from parents and others that George J. Mitchell’s name be removed from the George J. Mitchell elementary school on Drummond Avenue.
The decision to discuss such a change came after parents, students, school staff and others asked school officials to do so in light of files released by the U.S. Department of Justice that include emails between convicted child sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein and Mitchell aides that sought to arrange meetings between the two men between 2010 and 2013.
Mitchell, a Waterville native, has not been linked to any child sex abuse and has denied knowledge of criminal activity by Epstein.
Three parents approached the Waterville Board of Education on Monday night to ask that Mitchell’s name be removed from the elementary school bearing his name.
Jennifer Johnson, who teaches at the school and is a former president of the parent-teacher organization, asked the school board to explore the idea of removing the name. She said her three children attended the school, which she loves, but Mitchell is linked to Epstein, who has preyed on children.
Larkin Silverman, whose daughter attends the school, went a step further, asking the board to rename the school “Waterville Elementary.”
Silverman, a survivor of adolescent sexual exploitation, has been “deeply, personally disturbed by the onslaught of new information that continues to come to light.”
Sarah Staffiere, also a mother, expressed concern about the school name.
“I hope that the board considers renaming quickly,” she said.
School Superintendent Peter Hallen and school board Chair Erin McDermott said the schools’ policy committee will discuss the request at that panel’s next regular meeting March 3, or it could expedite the request and meet before that. McDermott said the policy committee typically meets at 3 p.m. at the district’s central office conference room.
While the public may attend those meetings, they may not comment.
The policy committee could decide at that meeting to vote to send the school renaming issue to the full school board for consideration, according to Hallen and McDermott.
Hallen is chairman of the policy committee. Other members are McDermott and school board member Aimee Morris, and school administrators and other officials.
Mitchell, now 92, served as special U.S. envoy to Northern Ireland from 1995-2001, and special envoy for Middle East Peace from 2009-2011. He was a U.S. senator from Maine from 1980-1995 and served as senate majority leader from 1989-95.
In light of the Epstein files, The Queen’s University Belfast said it would sever ties with Mitchell and remove his name from the Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. While there have been no findings of wrongdoing against Mitchell, the university determined that continuing to honor him was not appropriate.
A Mitchell spokesperson said Mitchell “profoundly regrets” his past association with Epstein and condemns his actions.
Mitchell recently resigned as honorary chair of the Mitchell Institute, whose mission is to help young people from every Maine community to aspire to earn a college education.
This story was originally published by the Maine Trust for Local News. Amy Calder can be reached at [email protected].
