Why Are Chariho School Committee Members Participating in Online Bullying?

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Megan Cotter on rural politics, voter conversations, and calling out toxic school committee behavior

Bill Bartholomew speaks with Rhode Island State Representative Megan Cotter, District 39, about her reelection campaign, what she is hearing while knocking on doors, and why she resists rigid political labels. The conversation turns to a disturbing Facebook exchange involving Cotter, her opponent Jasmine Roy, and Chariho school committee members Polly Hopkins and Phelps, centered on online bullying and body shaming by elected officials.In this episode:

Cotter says she is running an active, full-throttle campaign and has knocked on more than 1,000 doors

She says door-to-door conversations are making her a better representative because they reveal what people actually care about

She points to the biggest issues in her district as healthcare, insurance costs, groceries, utilities, and housing for young adults

Cotter argues that political labels often become purity tests that do more harm than good

She describes one constituent encounter where she calmly handled being called socialist and un-American

Cotter shares her personal health journey, including losing 120 pounds over two years after her father died of colorectal cancer

The discussion moves to a Facebook thread involving Cotter, Jasmine Roy, Polly Hopkins, and another school committee member, with comments mocking Cotter’s body and implying she ran for office for access to GLP 1 drugs

Cotter says elected officials should be held to a higher standard and should not normalize online harassment or bullying

Bartholomew and Cotter argue that school committee members, especially in a district serving children, should model better behavior and be held accountable

Cotter says voters need to pay attention and stop allowing this kind of conduct to slide

Timestamps: (0:00) Reintroducing Megan Cotter and why a rural sandwich stop led to the conversation
 (1:34) Why Cotter welcomes a contested race and stays active in the district
 (2:43) What voters in District 39 are saying about healthcare, costs, and housing
 (4:02) Why Cotter says labels and purity tests are a disservice
 (5:46) Handling polarized conversations at the door without losing respect
 (7:20) Setting up the Facebook post and Cotter’s health story
 (7:46) Losing 120 pounds, training, and how the journey changed her campaigning
 (9:47) How the Facebook post escalated into body shaming and harassment
 (11:22) Why elected officials should not excuse cruel behavior as free speech
 (12:23) Confirming the school committee members involved
 (13:11) Why Cotter says Polly Hopkins should resign
 (14:24) Why this matters as an example for kids and the public
 (16:12) Why elected officials should hold themselves to a higher standard
 (17:36) What message this sends to students in Cherhoe
 (18:14) The broader district context and why accountability matters
 (19:17) Why voters in Hopkinton need to do better
 (19:45) Closing thoughts and final thanks

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