Someone, either a board member or the superintendent, has been circulating a list of those who signed the letter of no confidence to Hunter's supporters. Citizens for 13J Excellence knows of at least one instance in an individual who signed the letter was singled out at a social gathering by a well-known supporter of Hunter and lectured about the error of her ways in an attempt at "re-education." In the course of this harangue, she was also told that only "Mormons and Hispanics" had signed the letters.
This is problematic in many ways:
The letters were submitted to the board as part of a formal complaint, a complaint that has not yet been acted upon by the board (unless this is their idea of how to resolve complaints brought to them). The names are not part of the "public record" as Hunter's supporter claimed. I have been told that individual board members were not even allowed to retain their copies of the letters. This would suggest the list was compiled by someone with on-going access to the letters and sufficient time to both make a list and "leak" it to certain members of the public. Who had that access? The superintendent who was the subject of the complaint? The board chair? Someone else?
Whoever now has that list has spent time analyzing it to see who signed, where they live, and their presumed ethnicity and religious beliefs. They can look for names they recognize and then target those individuals for harassment.
The dismissive idea that "only" Mormons and Hispanics signed the letter is factually incorrect. Those who signed the letter represent a wide cross-section of our community - the one group who was not included were district employees. Bringing ethnic and religious prejudice into an already tense situation is truly a new low and an indication of just how desperate Hunter and his supporters have become.
Those letters were delivered to the board and they are ultimately responsible for how they have been used and abused. Citizens for 13J Excellence has filed a complaint with the board asking for a swift investigation and apologies for those whose names have been inappropriately furnished to Hunter's supporters.
Given the behavior and ethics of those who run our school district, I would be embarrassed NOT to make the "enemies list." It's never too late to join us - it is only through our collective efforts that we will put an end to the secretive and underhanded tactics that pass for "leadership" in our district Sign a petition and then vote to recall Susan Stoop from the Central school board. Change starts at the top.
I've noticed that Hunter's car has been parked at the DO much more often than in the past. I had hoped he was actually doing the work he is getting paid to do but now I'm not so sure. Just how low will Hunter and his followers go before they leave and let this district become great again?
ReplyDeleteI was approached last night by someone who has been a target of being singled out for her "uneducated" decision to sign the vote of no confidence and the current petition. She was informed that an appointment had been made for her to meet Hunter and see how wrong she is being. It was also mentioned that she has done this with several other people, and specifically has the airpark residents on her agenda for extending this "offer" to them. The someone I talked to politely declined the offer and is standing firmly behind her choices to support 13J and the vote of no confidence form she signed.
ReplyDeleteI am really more than appalled at these tactics and I hope that we can spread the info out there and get people to board meeting in a couple of weeks. I will be thinking of a statement that I would like to make....
Many staff members, including myself, would have liked to sign the no confidence letters. Here is an excellent example of why that would have dangerous for us. We may be one cross section of the community who didn't sign, but MANY of us are behind the efforts of Citizens for 13J Excellence.
ReplyDeleteI told myself I would not let this situation overcome me. But after reading this post and letting the information sink in a little, I am becoming greatly infuriated; on a personal level and a professional level. There is nothing professional about the way the district leaders are handling this- whatsoever. It sickens me how now that I am older and more aware of what is going on in my community- this is what I have to put up with. DOWN with Hunter and I hope that his supporters can open their eyes...
ReplyDeleteI believe the Hunter camp is setting themselves up for a major harassment lawsuit. This has illegal written all over it! My family has been sigled out before by these thugs. No wonder our school district is in such trouble!
ReplyDeleteI think we need to be careful. There are 2 issues here, one is the realease of the "list" and the second is what was done with the information. What someone does with the information they receive is up to that person, not the Board, so let's not tar a group with the brush that we don't need to.
ReplyDeleteTrue, although one must wonder why they would selectively release information that is part of a still unresolved complaint and to what end.
ReplyDeleteI won't be all surprised if and when lawsuits are filed - not because people want money from the district but because it seems to be the only way to get the board to pay attention and start doing the job to which they were elected. Nothing else seems likely to budge the three remaining Hunter supporters on the board who are stonewalling all attempts to hold him accountable.
And whoever sent the flying monkeys after citizens who signed the letter of no confidence should be held accountable as well.
ReplyDeleteMost disturbing, indeed.
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