Douglas A Thornton Listed On NH Guardian Ad Litem Board’s List – Listed As “Expired or Renewal Denied” – How the State Of NH Protects Those Working For The State That Have Enormous Power To Destroy Lives And Yet The State Refuses To Give The Public Access To Information About These People

Here is a list that was published by the Guardian Ad Litem Board in NH.  As you will note, Douglas Thornton is listed as “Expired or Renewal Denied.”  This document is available at the following link. http://www.nh.gov/gal/documents/BoardCertifiedGALs-Alpha.pdf

CHANGES IN GUARDIAN AD LITEM STATUS

Changes through December 8, 2010

Suspended:

• Lenora Boehm

• Marsha Lavallee Huntoon

Newly approved

• Lynn Aaby

• Arlene Agosto

• Tracy Bernson

• William Cleary

• Margo Cooper

• Tina Craig

• Anna Elbroch

• Kristen Finnegan

• Carleen Forrest

• Barbara Gardner

• Aprel Goddard

• Lucinda Hopkins

• Robin Partello

• Elizabeth Rodd

• Laura Vaillancourt

Expired or renewal denied:

• Michael Atkins

• Dianna Baker

• Lisa Bellanti

• Paul Bennett

• Floreen Keifer-Bishop

• Quentin Blaine

• Barry Bolduc

• George Bortnick

• David Braiterman

• Peter Brigham

• Susan Brown

• Peter Brunette

• Deborah Buxton

• Cindee Carter

• Mark Cavanaugh

• Karen Collman

• Clark Corson

• RoAnne Cronin

• Timothy Cunningham

• Gail Cyr

• Susan Denenberg

• Elaine Dolph

• Daniel Dwyer

• Edmunds Everett

• Michael Finamore

• John Fox

• Patricia Frim

• Christopher Garner

• Matthew Garthwait

• Jill Gaumont

• Kim Gaumont

• Michelle Gosselin-Limire

• Tammy Gosling

• Joan Gross

• Margaret Cunnane Hall

• Marianne Hannagan

• Jeremy Harmon

• Patrick Harrigan

• John Harwood

• Honey Hastings

• Tricia Hayes

• James Hurley

• David Kamen

• Kathy LaRocque

• Marcia Leighninger

• Thomas Mandra

• Jeanette Marino

• Steven Markiewicz

• Elizabeth Maynard

• Barbara McCracken

• Glenn McCracken

• Andrea McCusker

• Robert McKenney

• Norma Micheroni

• Fred Miller

• Kathy Needleman

• Deborah Shepherd

• Douglas Thornton

Someone contacted the GAL board for information and here is their response. 

1^st Request For Information From GAL Board

Hi:
I recently noticed that GAL Douglas Thornton is on a list of "Expired or renewal denied." as for changes through December 1st 2010.  How do I find out information about this?  I would like to know what information is available to me. 

Thanks

1^st Response To Request

Good Morning,

I am not sure what information you are requesting, so I am including the dates of any status changes for Mr. Thornton. I reviewed Mr. Thornton’s file and found that he was originally certified by the Guardian ad Litem Board on March 13, 2006.  His certification expired on March 13, 2009.  He did apply for Guardian ad Litem Certification again in the summer of 2010; however, the board denied his application on September 24, 2010.  He is not a board certified GAL, and has not been board certified since his original expiration date.   

If you are looking for something more specific please let me know and I can try to get that information for you if it is indeed public information.  The reasons for denial are not public information.   

Thank you,

Katherine

GAL Board Secretary

2^nd Request Asking For Information

Thank you for your speedy response.  You answered most of my questions.  Specifically, I am assisting a friend with some post divorce issues.  Doug Thornton was the GAL.  It would be helpful is we could find out why Mr. Thornton's application was denied as there could be some impact on the post divorce issues.  I am a little confused why that information would not be open to the public under the NH Right to Know law and if it is not subject to right to know, how could someone find out?  A petition to the court?  Subpoena?  Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. 

2^nd Response To Request

The reason for denial is exempt from right to know requests pursuant RSA 91-A:3 II(c), and cannot be disclosed.  If he had requested a hearing to challenge the board’s denial of his application, then the information would have become public, but he did not.  I am a secretary, and I am unaware of how you would force the release of exempt information, but I think it may be through the Supreme Court, but you may want to get some legal advice on that.

If you are under the assumption that the reason for denial stems from a complaint about Mr. Thornton as a GAL, I can inform you that all disciplinary decisions regarding GALs are posted to the board’s website under the complaints section.  I do not see that any disciplinary action was ever taken against Mr. Thornton.

If your friend wishes to file a complaint against Mr. Thornton, there is paperwork available on the Board’s website under the complaints section.  However, it should be noted that the board can only handle complaints against certified GALs, so if the time period during which the violations took place was after Mr. Thornton expired, then the complaint would need to be directed to the court, and she would need to contact them as to how to file a complaint.

Thank you

Katherine

GAL Board Secretary

As you can see, the secretary in quite polite in her response.  She notes that the reason for Thornton being denied his certification is not subject to the right to know laws.  Here is a person that has caused a great deal of destruction to two young boys and God knows who else but you can’t find out why his application was denied.  Do you see something wrong with this?  What is the GAL Board covering up?  Thornton created a lot of problems for my divorce, he was biased and negligent in the way he handled the case but I can’t find out why he was denied his certification. 

Someday my children will become adults.  They will someday realize that their father did everything he could do to be in their lives but had his rights taken away by a sick mother that breeds on Parent Alienation as well as her attorney Jaye Rancourt, a negligent GAL Douglas Thornton along with Master Forrest and Judge Arnold.