Written by: Dan Shibilia

Methuen School Committee member Kristen Maxwell resigned effective immediately on February 14, 2026, ending her tenure amid ongoing legal and political tensions stemming from a failed harassment prevention order.

In her resignation letter addressed to Mayor David Beauregard and members of the School Committee, Maxwell stated the court’s decision:

“Recently, the court declined to extend the harassment order I sought, noting that there were only two incidents that rose to the level of malicious intent under the legal standard required.”

Her resignation takes effect immediately but the letter is factual flawed.

The legal proceeding at the center of the matter involved a request for a harassment prevention order under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 258E.

Under Massachusetts law, such an order requires a showing of:

“three or more acts of willful and malicious conduct aimed at a specific person committed with the intent to cause fear, intimidation, abuse or damage to property.”

The court ultimately declined to extend the order.

Court filings also indicate that the standard for malicious conduct must be met clearly and specifically, and that political speech and disagreement are afforded broad constitutional protection.

Maxwell’s resignation letter provides her own interpretation of the court’s findings and the broader circumstances surrounding her decision.

Because her resignation letter is a written public document, it falls within the category of published statements governed by defamation law.

Libel, the written form of defamation, is defined by Black’s Law Dictionary as “a defamatory statement expressed in a fixed medium, especially writing.”

Massachusetts courts similarly define defamation, including libel, as “the publication, either orally or in writing, of a false statement concerning another which is capable of damaging that person’s reputation in the community.” Ravnikar v. Bogojavlensky, 438 Mass. 627 (2003)

Whether any particular written statement meets that legal definition is ultimately a matter for courts, not public officials or the media, to determine.

What is clear is that Maxwell’s resignation letter now becomes part of the permanent public record, alongside the court’s ruling and filings in the case.

Maxwell’s immediate resignation creates a vacancy on the School Committee, triggering the formal process to fill the open seat.

The City of Methuen is currently awaiting a legal opinion to determine whether Alejandro Baez, who finished next in line in the most recent election, has the number of votes required under city rules to be automatically appointed to the vacant seat.

If Baez does not meet the legal threshold for automatic appointment, the vacancy would instead be filled through a vote of the remaining School Committee members.

This is the same process used in 2024 following the resignation of former School Committee member Louann Santos, when the vacancy was filled through a voted backfill vote rather than automatic succession.

City officials have not yet announced a timeline for when that determination will be made.

Until the legal determination is complete, the School Committee will continue operating with one less member.

Once the legal opinion is issued, the city will either:

• Automatically seat the next eligible vote-getter, or

• the School Committee starts the process of trying to jockey for votes to get the empty seat filled.

The outcome will determine not just the composition of the School Committee, but also the direction of governance during a period of heightened public scrutiny.

Maxwell’s resignation closes one chapter but the legal, political, and procedural conse

quences will continue to unfold in the weeks ahead.

Inside Methuen

Kristen Maxwell Resigns from the School…