Probe into school board chair's actions under way at County Attorney Office

From left, former school board member Karen Stokes, Rochester school board chair Shane Downs (Stokes/city of Rochester screenshot; Downs/Rochester Voice file photo)

DOVER - Allegations of criminal behavior by Rochester School Board Chair Shane Downs are currently under investigation by the Strafford County Attorneys Office, according to a former school board member who stated during her resignation speech last month. she would be sending criminal referrals to the state Attorney Generals Office and the county attorneys office
Karen Stokes, who had been recommended for censure by a city ethics board, told The Rochester Voice on Friday that she had been contacted by an investigator for the Strafford County Attorneys Office who said he would be looking into any criminal violations.
The investigator will only be assessing potential criminal charges.
During her resignation speech on July 10 Stokes ripped into Downs over how he had led the board down what she viewed as a dangerous path.
"For the chair it's all about power," she said. "This board now operates like the wild west: no rules, no guardrails."
Stokes also alluded to the rift between former Rochester Schools superintendent Annie Azarloza and Downs over how to address special needs students' disciplinary issues.
"This was never about opposing law enforcement," she said. "This is all about him (Downs) trying to criminalize students."
It should be noted that the school board chair is also a patrol officer with the Rochester Police Department.
Stokes made several allegations in her referrals to the Strafford County Attorneys Office, some of which she thinks could rise to the level of criminal misconduct.

The friction between Azarloza and Rochester Police began in the fall of last year over the handling of special education matters, including manifestation hearings, according to the Ethics Investigator Officer's report.
A manifestation hearing, also known as a manifestation determination review is a meeting convened to determine if a student's misconduct is a direct result of their disability or if the school failed to properly implement their Individualized Education Program (IEP). This hearing is crucial in deciding whether disciplinary actions like suspension or expulsion are appropriate for students with disabilities.
Meanwhile, Rochester Police Chief Gary Boudreau said on Friday he had received no reports from the Strafford County Attorneys Office regarding any investigation into Downs.
The Rochester Voice reached out to Downs for comment on this story, but heard nothing back.
Azarloza recently signed an agreement with the city to buy out the second year of her two-year contract.