1 trustee censured, 1,500 petition signatures collected, $125,000 settlement paid
By Eric Valentine
As summer approaches, things continue to heat up for Blaine County School District. An attempt to oust the superintendent steams ahead, a major lawsuit against the district gets settled, and trustees are announcing their intentions for the November elections.
Yet, even in that climate, a surprise move happened at the school board’s June 11 session.
Censure Surprise
Just 10 days after showing up at a public forum organized by disgruntled parents and teachers who say they fear retaliation by district officials, school board Chairman Rob Clayton got turned into plain old Trustee Clayton. His fellow trustees voted 3–2 to censure and demote him for violating the board’s code of ethics—a document trustees sign when taking office that sets guidelines on how to conduct school board business.
Clayton has been on the board since 2014; the district said the violations occurred between January and May of this year. Clayton’s term expires in 2021. Vice-chair Ellen Mandeville will serve as board chair going forward, the district confirmed.
A censure is a legislative body’s formal disapproval of the behavior of one of its members. It doesn’t have much teeth legally, but it draws a firm line in the sand politically, especially when it comes to running for re-election.
In an interview with The Weekly Sun, Clayton characterized the violations as “pretty borderline” and described the school board as being in a state of “legal paralysis.” Across the community, the timing of Clayton’s censure and demotion read as the type of retribution by the school district some parents, teachers and staff say they fear. The district firmly denied that claim.
“The statement sent immediately after the Board of Trustees meeting speaks for itself: ‘The Board of Trustees voted in open session to censure Chairman Rob Clayton for several violations of the BCSD Board of Trustees’ Code of Ethics from January 2019 to early May 2019 … the I-Care meeting was June 3,’” district spokesperson Heather Crocker stated Monday.
It should be noted that Trustee Ryan Degn had attended the June 3 I-Care meeting as well. Degn is not the subject of any district policy violations.
The allegations of ethics violations involved:
Clayton’s attendance at what the district described as a personnel performance evaluation between Holmes and a member of the staff
Clayton’s conversations with a teacher who had complaints about the district’s investigation procedures
Regarding the personnel evaluation, Clayton said he was there to observe and the meeting had gotten “called off” anyway. He also said he had spoken with Holmes beforehand and the meeting was never described as an evaluation. Regarding the conversation with the teacher, Clayton said he wanted to err on the side of being informed.
“We have a duty to provide oversight, but the instruction to trustees (from Holmes and legal counsel) is don’t talk to anybody,” Clayton said. “To make effective policy decisions you need good information and if you get your information from just one funnel, making good decisions is going to be challenging.”
Mediation With Maza
In the matter of now former Human Resources Director Shannon Maza, the school district has opted to settle out of court. Maza filed two tort claims earlier this year claiming she was bullied and harassed by district officials after taking issue with how a number of personnel investigations were handled. In addition to the tort filings, the Idaho Human Rights Commission accepted her claims, opening the door for the independent agency to mediate between Maza and the district.
According to the so-called separation/settlement agreement, Maza’s position will terminate immediately and in exchange she will receive a $125,000 payout from the school district.
Sacking The Super
An online signature petition demanding that the school board fire Superintendent GwenCarol Holmes has passed 1,150 signatures as of press deadline Tuesday. As reported, it was generated by a group called I-Care (Idaho Citizens for Accountable, Responsible Education). The group is loosely comprised of parents, teachers and other residents who are upset with district officials across a number of matters, from what they describe as top-heavy spending to the management of personnel issues wherein they say they have been “willfully ignored” and “fear retribution.”
The group launched its petition at their June 3 forum. Organizers said the goal is to get trustees to hold an executive session to discuss terminating Holmes with cause. A “with cause” firing would mean the superintendent would not receive a severance package. I-Care folks have been clear: It will campaign against any trustee who does not vote to remove Holmes.
November Reign
Three trustees have their terms expiring in November. Already Ellen Mandeville has announced she will not seek re-election. Mandeville was one of the three trustees, incidentally, that voted to censure and demote Clayton.
“It is true that I will not be seeking re-election in November. My family and I expect to be moving out of Zone 3 of the school board within a year or two. I cannot in good conscience run for the seat knowing I am unable to serve the full four-year term of office,” Mandeville said.
However, trustees Ryan Degn and Kevin Garrison have announced they do plan on running in November. Profile articles on both those candidates are slated to run in upcoming editions of The Weekly Sun. Degn voted against censuring and demoting Clayton. Garrison voted for both motions.