This is in response to your Dec. 9 article regarding the resignation of Don Lemos, Brooksville Elementary School principal. Because the article was incomplete and misleading, I feel compelled to provide the following additional information and perspective.

First, you report that “dozens of parents and teachers have faithfully turned out for every school board meeting this fall to support Lemos.” In reality, several — not “dozens” — of parents have expressed their support of Mr. Lemos to the board, both at meetings and by writing letters to the board. No teachers have done so.

Second, your report states the school has “gone through five principals in the past eight years.” Again, this is not true. The school has had five principals in the past 15 years. In response to your related statement regarding the school’s “poor track record in retaining principals,” I would like to point out that the current board was not involved with the hirings or resignations of those past principals.

From this board’s perspective, the current situation is a unique one, quite dissimilar from principal turnover issues in the past. Furthermore, we sincerely hope that our next principal will have a long and productive tenure here. And I like to think our entire community is committed to that goal.

Third, your report conveys the impression that complaints by “a small group of parents” regarding discipline precipitated the resignation. This is also not true.

Fourth, your report relies extensively — almost exclusively — on the statements of Lemos’ attorney, who is paid to advocate for his client and to convey the story in a light most favorable to him. In formulating the story, you should keep in mind that all school employees in the state of Maine have the right to keep their personnel files confidential. Unless the employee waives that right, this privacy protection prohibits the board and superintendent from publicly disclosing information in that file.

I appreciate that this privacy protection makes your job more difficult. However, given this inherent imbalance, shouldn’t you attempt to scrutinize your information more carefully and probe a little deeper? Had you investigated more thoroughly, I believe that you would have delivered a more accurate story.

Unfortunately, your unbalanced report has unwittingly contributed to our school community’s confusion and dysfunction around this episode. Insidious rumors have surrounded this controversy, casting well-meaning people as villains — an injustice perpetuated by your report. In the future, please be more careful in your coverage of community news. You have fallen far short of the mark here.

On a more positive note, I hope and believe that our community is ready to move forward. We will press ahead in our ongoing efforts to create a healthy school atmosphere, where our children work hard, play by the rules, respect each other and are happily engaged in their own learning. I hope you will cover that news, too.

Kathleen Caldwell is a member of the Brooksville School Committee.