Former RSU 21 School Board member Kirstin Shapiro will still face a recall election in Arundel on Dec. 17, despite having resigned from the board last month. 

In early October, Arundel resident and parent of RSU 21 graduates, Dorothy Gregoire, filed a letter seeking a petition form to begin the recall process. After receiving enough signatures from the Arundel community, a recall election date was set for Dec. 17.

Shapiro was given until Oct. 31 to resign, and did not do so.

There is no provision in the Arundel Municipal Charter to address if a person resigns after the allotted time period, Arundel Town Manager Keith Trefethen said.

“Municipal Officials do not have the authority to cancel the recall election,” Trefethen said. “The select board was required to move forward with the election.”

In her original letter of intent, Gregoire said she planned to circulate a recall petition against Shapiro because she feels that Shapiro’s behavior on multiple occasions has caused a loss of confidence in her judgment and her ability to perform her duties on the school board.

Also in her letter, Gregoire alleges that Shapiro violated policies outlined in the board’s code of ethics, including a specific policy calling for board members to handle complaints in a certain way.

Gregoire provided examples of instances in which Shapiro has violated this policy, including an outburst during a public comment period on Sept. 19.

“Director Shapiro’s history of outbursts have caused a loss of confidence in her ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of a school board director,” Gregoire said.

As board Chair Lesley Stoeffler attempted to adjourn the Sept. 19 meeting, Shapiro launched into an emotional, shouting statement on how educators had allegedly harassed her and her family through her 4-year-old daughter.

“That is wildly inappropriate and illegal,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro did not provide any specifics in support of her statement, and her statement, according to officials, has not been authenticated in the months since.

At an Oct. 21 school board meeting, Shapiro was censured by her colleagues for conduct that board member Kirstan Watson said is inconsistent with the standards expected of board members.

“The continued escalation of these violations has prevented the board from fulfilling its duties in a timely and reasonable manner and with integrity,” Watson said.

Attempts to reach Shapiro were unsuccessful.

Watson also cited Shapiro’s most recent inappropriate conduct, which occurred during an Oct. 21 meeting. While struggling with how to vote on a particular motion, Shapiro muttered profanity under her breath.

Shapiro consistently defended herself and her actions throughout the censure and removal processes, but ultimately decided to resign from the board last month.