A war of words has broken out over Glenorchy School's decision to not oppose a liquor licence for a store across the road owned by philanthropists Paul and Debbi Brainerd.
The school's decision late last year has come under fire from Glenorchy Country radio station owner Chaz Drader.
After reading an email from a concerned parent on air last month, he accused the board of ''sucking up to rich benefactors''.
Mr Brainerd, who gave $40,000 worth of iPads and supporting hardware to the school a year ago, has called the spat a ''tempest in a teapot'' and the board's chairwoman called Mr Drader's comments ''defamatory''.
Nikki Gladding, whose email sparked the controversy, told the Otago Daily Times it outlined her concerns about the process followed by the board. She sent it to others opposed to the Brainerds' application, including Mr Drader.
His on-air comments meant the issue had ''got all a bit out of whack'', especially his mistaken suggestion the school's principal, Allie McHugo, had deliberately omitted to table the application at the board's meeting.
In a post on the township's community website, board chairwoman Corrine Davis said it would not have hesitated to oppose the application if it thought the licence would have a negative impact on pupils.
People should get accurate information about school decisions before they ''circulate information that could divide our community''.
Mrs Davis told the Otago Daily Times the board made the decision in good faith and did not think it was a major issue.
''Now apparently it is, we're happy to go back and reconsider if that's the feeling in the community.''
Although she understood it was too late to lodge an objection, the board would consult parents next time the issue arose.
Mr Brainerd said he had applied for the liquor licence so the store could sell ''specialty and regional wines'' to tourists as a gift item.
He had been working with schools on technology issues for more than 20 years and made the gift of iPads many months before buying the general store.
''Connecting these two, in my mind, is a pretty long stretch.''
