Good Will-Hinckley should be renamed just “Hinckley.”

The social service organization should reconsider its decision to fire House Speaker Mark Eves. As a lifelong educator and current school board member, I find their action reprehensible and the example they are setting for students everywhere appalling.

Look at the messages Hinckley is sending:

• First, solve problems using dishonesty and hypocrisy – you can fire a Democratic new hire under pressure from a Republican governor and claim to be apolitical.

• Second, people are dispensable and don’t need to be treated with respect.

• And, most importantly, deal with bullying by giving in to the bully and denying the incident happened.

Hinckley is worried about losing its funding but should be worried about losing its students. What kind of parent would send their child to a school espousing such values?

I’ve known Mark Eves since he first ran for office, and no school could have a finer person at its head. Not only is he intelligent and compassionate, but has shown himself capable of making difficult decisions, bringing opposing parties together and performing with composure and grace under the most extreme pressure and provocation.

I urge all Maine citizens to support him by doing the following:

1. Demand that Good Will-Hinckley reverse its decision and rehire Mark Eves.

2. Contact the Maine Department of Education and ask them to reconsider the school’s charter status if this doesn’t happen.

3. Urge your local school officials to discourage sending students to the Hinckley school until it reverses its decision.

Lynn Manley

North Berwick