After a Facebook confrontation earlier this week over whether he has slept during school board meetings, Barry Manning said on social media he will resign from the Gardiner-area school board.

Officials at Maine School Administrative District 11, however, say they had received no notification at that time that he will leave his post as one of Randolph’s two representatives on the school board.

Manning was accused on social media of sleeping during school board meetings by Ariel Sides, a community member. He said that if Sides could prove he slept during a meeting, he’d resign.

However, in his post announcing his resignation, Manning said it was because of major life changes. He did not refer to the video or sleeping during board meetings as the reason why he resigned.

“Circumstances in my life have changed dramatically and I will be resigning from the school board,” Manning wrote on Monday afternoon after the video was posted.

When asked by a reporter if he resigned, in reference to the Facebook post, he said he hasn’t.

When asked for clarification, he said “am resigning.”

“The shortest and simplest version is I feel like there are people who would make better reps,” he said in response to a reporter’s questions on Tuesday.

Manning added that he was “stunned” that it would be newsworthy.

As of Tuesday night, MSAD 11 had not received his resignation letter, Superintendent Kady Gould said.

His resignation comes days after a six-month investigation detailed in the Kennebec Journal showed Manning’s text messages with Allen Sarvinas, Maine director of Parents Rights in Education, in which Sarvinas gave Manning information to say at Gardiner-area school board meetings. Manning denies that he is a “puppet” of Sarvinas.

The exchange between Manning and Sides came in the comments of Sides’ post of the story to a Facebook page for West Gardiner residents.

Responding to a comment that someone made saying that “money equals corruption,” Manning said the corruption is why he didn’t vote for the school-based health center.

The clinic has been the point of contention for a few board members, including Manning, and members of the community who believe through the clinic the district would provide gender-affirming care to transgender students.

Sides responded to Manning, and the two went back and forth until Sides said she is surprised he “stayed awake” to comment, in reference to allegations that Manning falls asleep during meetings. Manning challenged her to provide an example.

Sides posted the video to Facebook and Manning resigned a half-hour later in a Facebook post.

In a statement, Sides said she is glad to see he is a man of his word and wishes him well with his next endeavors.

“While I’m not actually self-important to believe this has anything to do with me, I’m glad Mr. Manning decided to do the right thing,” Sides said. “He clearly didn’t want this responsibility in the first place, which has lead to collusion with outside organizations who actively seek to dismantle our education system. School board members should have the best interest of our children at heart, not to seek to dismantle institutions that serve them.”

Manning has said he is not a member of Parents Rights in Education, the organization that attempted to halt the school-based health center with the help of a few MSAD 11 board members, but that he might join in the future.

It’s the second resignation of a board member this year. West Gardiner representative Sean Focht resigned in July when he moved out of the district. Kate Merrill was appointed to fill his seat in September after the Board of Selectmen took several months to appoint someone.

The Randolph Board of Selectmen did not immediately respond to an inquiry on when the board plans to appoint a replacement.

Randolph is one of the four communities that make up MSAD 11. The other communities are Gardiner, Pittston and West Gardiner.

Manning was elected a year ago in an uncontested race. His term expires in November 2027.