Officials are investigating the possible illegal recording of a private meeting at the New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law that may have been distributed to a news outlet.
“As a law school whose mission is to educate members of the legal profession, this alleged crime and breach of norms are particularly troubling,” Dean Megan Carpenter wrote in a letter to the school community earlier this month. “To say that we all feel the impact and a sense of lost trust is an understatement.
The private, closed-door meeting was held on November 15, between several faculty members, the university system’s general council, and UNH’s chief diversity officer to discuss university policies, Carpenter said. A month later on Dec. 15, administrators and faculty members were contacted by “an outside media source,” saying there was recorded “footage” of the meeting.
School officials immediately alerted the UNH Police department, which opened a criminal investigation into the alleged violation of privacy, the department said.
The criminal investigation continues, and a news story based on the recording was never published.
“We share the following details as a matter of transparency and to aid in gathering relevant information in support of UNH Police efforts,” Carpenter said in her letter.
Carpenter said the incident is a “breach of privacy, trust, and a potential felony violation of state law.”
Members of the law school are worried about the extent of the recording and motive behind it, said second-year law student Ronelle Tshiela.
“Groups around campus are weary of conducting regular business, like board meetings on campus, as we’re unsure if those conversations we would have during those meetings would be confidential,” Tshiela said.
Tshiela, who founded the Black Lives Matter group of Manchester, said she does not believe the recording was racially motivated. Students on campus don’t believe the suspect is one of their peers, she said. A crime of this nature would put a student’s ability to practice law in jeopardy.
In her letter, Carpenter expressed disappointment and concern regarding the incident and asked members of the school community to share any information they might have.
“The investigation has now reached the stage at which it is prudent to inform the general community about this event and alert our community about this breach in trust,” the email read. “We strongly condemn and denounce this alleged behavior so that it may deter future, similar behavior.”
Carpenter declined further comment while the UNH Police Department continues its investigation.
Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to contact the UNH Police at 603-862-1427 or anonymously submit a tip online.