School board members voted to name the school Windham Raymond Middle School after rejecting a proposal to honor the late Maine lawmaker Bill Diamond
School board members voted to name the school Windham Raymond Middle School after rejecting a proposal to honor the late Maine lawmaker Bill Diamond
The Windham-Raymond school board voted Wednesday to name the district's new middle school Windham Raymond Middle School, rejecting a proposal to name it after the late Maine lawmaker Bill Diamond.
The Regional School Unit 14 board voted in favor of Windham Raymond Middle School after a motion to name the building Bill Diamond Middle School failed in a 2-5 vote.
Several community members spoke in support of naming the school after Diamond during the public comment portion of Wednesday's meeting.
During the board discussion, one board member questioned whether the school should be named to honor the legacy of an individual or reflect the communities that helped plan and build it.
"I believe there are many other ways to honor the legacy of Bill Diamond," she said. She suggested several possibilities, including naming a building on the school campus or a community center after Diamond, or establishing a scholarship for graduates in his honor.
Diamond, who died in 2025, served in the Maine Legislature and as Maine's secretary of state. He also worked as a teacher, principal and superintendent for more than 20 years.
During Wednesday's meeting, Diamond's daughter, Karen Diamond, addressed the board about allegations involving the former Elan School, where her father previously worked.
Karen Diamond said her father had no knowledge of abuse at the school during his time there. She also said the family has legal counsel reviewing what she described as false allegations and urged board members to evaluate her father's name based on verified facts.
The decision also drew criticism from Erik's Church, a Windham business, which expressed support for efforts to reverse the outcome in a social media post.
"We will support any initiative to change this outcome," the business wrote.