Community
starts petition to oust school board members
Immediately following the public comment period related
to Clevenger’s reinstatement, about 100 concerned parents, teachers, and valley
residents gathered in the small theater on campus to discuss their options in
the battle to force Clevenger’s return as the SYVUHS principal.
“This should be a lesson to all of us to be careful who
we elect to the board,” said Elizabeth Green, a community member, who
recommended the public consider recalling the board members. “A board is not
here to rubber stamp our superintendent.”
What began as an unofficial Teachers Association meeting
and a gathering of outraged stakeholders, resulted with a community vowing to
take action. And action it took — Bruce Porter, Coleen Hefley, Kim Snyder,
Kenneth Dowd and Charles Hawkins personally handed each board member recall
petition notices.
The dramatic gesture came after the board returned from a
two-hour closed session in which it discussed Clevenger’s reinstatement and a
potential lawsuit it anticipates will be filed by the former principal. The
board also announced that it is seeking legal advice from the district’s
attorney, Mary Dowell, after learning of circulating letters and e-mails that
it claims disclose Clevenger’s intention to sue the district.
Despite an outpouring of public support for the axed
principal, the board announced its consensus to not take any action to
reinstate Clevenger.
The board reported discussing Clevenger’s reinstatement
and his possible pending lawsuit in closed session.
With more than a dozen signatures already on the
petitions, the community is demanding to be heard.
“I strongly
believe that what’s happening is wrong, that’s why I signed the petition,” said
Renee Howard, a concerned parent.
Despite Clevenger’s renouncement of his right to a closed
session and request that all discussions regarding his dismissal and
reinstatement be discussed in a public forum, the school board elected to hold
a closed session to deliberate the issues.
As many people as there are in an uproar over Clevenger’s
Feb. 14 dismissal, at least as many or more seem to be bewildered and angered
by the board’s refusal to openly discuss the reasons for his dismissal.
“I’m frustrated at not getting any answers from these
people,” said community member Chuck Sorensen, while pointing to the school
board’s mission statement.
They just haven’t represented the community as their
mission statement says they would, he added.
Earlier in the proceeding, nearly 200 people, including
students and teachers, high school staff and valley community members filled
the Old Gym on the campus to take part in the second public hearing regarding
Clevenger.
Clevenger opened the meeting by expressing his
disappointment at the board’s decision and again suggested the board pay
attention to community input.
“Personally, my character and reputation have been called
into question by the actions and silence of the superintendent and board,” he
said. “If you want to find out what kind of a leader I am, what kind of
colleague I am, what kind of a man I am, talk to the people in this room…there
you will find the answers to your questions.”
Bruce Porter, who requested that Clevenger’s dismissal be
placed on the board meeting agenda, questioned why the board refused to discuss
Clevenger’s dismissal and possible reinstatement in open session, to which the
board declined response.
“You are not required to do this in closed session,”
Porter said. “You chose closed session, there is no
reason to do so.”
All of the public speakers called for Clevenger’s return
and bluntly expressed their disappointment in the board.
“…Public service requires listening,” said Karin
McKinnon. “…Your complete disregard for the testimony you’ve head from the last meeting shows you haven’t been
listening…if you cannot explain your actions to your constituents, you have no
place here…shame on you, you’re out of touch with your
mission.”
Jeff McKinnon, co-president of the Faculty Association at
SYVUHS, confirmed that the association would continue to fight to defend its
support of Clevenger. He called the board’s decision a “character
assassination” of Clevenger, and demanded that it provide immediate answers to
questions and concerns raised by the faculty and community.
Clevenger neither confirmed nor denied whether he intends
to file suit against the district, but did encourage the non-faculty community
to explore all of its options, including electing new board members.
“I’m lending all the support I can, but I’m sort of out in
the woods right now,” he said at the informal Faculty Association meeting. “The
decisions that are going to be made are up to [the community].”