Portland lawmakers call on LePage to apologize to Deering High School

Story about repeated overdoses proven to be a lie; Now, LePage must own it

AUGUSTA — Portland’s delegation to the Maine Legislature is calling on Gov. Paul LePage to publicly disavow his fabricated story about repeated overdoses at Deering High School, and to apologize to Deering’s teachers, students and community for smearing their reputation.

Two weeks ago, the entire delegation sent Gov. LePage a letter, urging him privately to set the record straight and apologize. Since then, the governor has remained silent. He has not owned up to his lie or responded to the letter.

The governor has repeatedly told Mainers that a junior at Deering High School overdosed and was revived with the use of naloxone hydrochloride three times in one week. During a town hall forum in Lewiston, he told the crowd that after “… the third one, he got up and went to class. He didn’t go to the hospital. He didn’t get checked out.”

“Deering doesn’t deserve to have its reputation maligned by the highest elected leader in our state,” said Senate Democratic Leader Justin Alfond of Portland. “The governor owes it to our community to set the record straight. Donald Trump may double down on his lies when confronted with the truth, but we can’t sit by while Gov. LePage makes up hurtful stories about our community.”

Gov. LePage used the story to back up his baseless opposition to naloxone, which saves lives by stopping overdoses before they become fatal and by giving Mainers suffering from addiction a shot at recovery. Fact-checkers in the media, as well as school officials, quickly reported the story was not only false, but impossible — part of a series of fictions and lies uttered at his “town hall” meetings across the state.

But LePage has refused to acknowledge that his story was a lie, or to apologize.

“It’s another example of ‘Ready, Fire, Aim.’ I can’t imagine how the governor came up with this story about our students and our high school,” said Rep. Erik Jorgensen, D-Portland, whose district includes Deering High School. “This didn’t happen, plain and simple. He should check his facts. But more than that, he owes the hardworking students and faculty of Deering an apology.”

You can read the letter sent from the Portland Delegation to Gov. LePage by clicking here. 

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