Manhattan-Ogden school board president Jurdene Coleman ordered about 30 people to leave Wednesday's meeting after several became unruly and shouted over each other during comments about a teacher training program the district currently isn't using.
Ten people spoke for and against diversity and equity training for teachers during a public comment period that ended with the Riley County Police Department being called.
The final speaker, Kim Zito, voiced her distaste for those who oppose training teachers how to be more aware of cultural diversity in their classrooms. At one point, she turned to John Ball, chair of the Riley County Republican Party, and accused him of spreading lies and misinformation about critical race theory.
An email from the Riley County Republican Party sent May 16 claimed the school district was attempting to adopt critical race theory to “indoctrinate” children into practicing racism. Critical race theory is a legal perspective developed in the 1970s and '80s to analyze how racism is embedded into U.S. laws and how people of color are affected by those laws. Zito called Ball out for that email, saying she “would be up in arms too” if she read those words without knowing the subject matter.
“Indoctrination is not what they’re doing,” Zito said.
Ball protested Zito’s claim and wondered aloud why the board was allowing Zito to confront him. People who participate in the comment period are prohibited from attacking board members or other district employees, but there isn't anything in the board’s rules about public commenters accosting each other.
During his earlier comments, Ball said he felt “attacked” by board member Katrina Lewison at the June 3 meeting. At that time, Lewison told Ball directly he was wrong about the board’s intention behind a measure to give district teachers a chance to receive training from education consulting firm BetterLesson on culturally responsive teaching and learning methods.
The board approved the training in April, but administrators withdrew the purchase in May because of a lack of appropriate funding.
“That board member did not attack you,” Zito said. “Clutch your pearls harder.”
As Zito continued to talk, several people in the crowd began to shout over her and at each other. After a few tense moments, Coleman closed the public comment period and ordered everyone except journalists to leave. Ball sat for a moment as the crowd exited the board room.
“There are rules for civility,” Ball said.
Coleman told Ball he would not be getting any “special privileges” and advised him to leave, which he eventually did. Board member Karla Hagemeister, whose husband works for RCPD, called the police, and within minutes two patrol officers stopped by the Robinson Education Center to maintain peace among the crowd. Several people lingered outside the building before leaving the property.
As the crowd dispersed, board members called various attorneys to ask if they were violating the Kansas Open Meetings Act by kicking people out. Coleman said she spoke with an attorney with the Kansas Association of School Boards who told her that she could ask visitors to leave if "they are imposing on our ability to conduct business." Several people returned to the meeting once the board reconvened after a 15-minute recess.
Kansas Press Association attorney Max Kautsch watched the video of the meeting Thursday. He told The Mercury after reviewing the actions of the board, the way they closed public comments and made people leave "doesn't necessarily smack of a KOMA violation in my opinion."
"Even if it were a violation, it seems the board was cognizant of the relevant issues and tried to remedy it pronto, so this isn't a case of flouting the law," Kautsch said. "It would be hard to imagine the attorney general ordering some kind of remedy if a complaint were brought."
During board comments, Coleman said she disagrees with “the interpretation of the facts” she continues to hear from those who oppose diversity and equity training thinking it’s critical race theory. Coleman said equity is defined in the district’s strategic plan.
“Nowhere in that definition does it say we’re robbing from someone to give to someone else,” Coleman said. “I really hope the community can understand that.”
Coleman said the discourse at the meeting “was unfortunate,” and that “this will be a moment I will replay in my head for the rest of my life.” She said she asked if police officers can be present for all board meetings in the future to curb any potential disorder among public commenters.
“We’re not here to wrangle adults, we’re here to educate children,” Coleman said.
Assistant superintendent Eric Reid said the board is allowed to remove public comment periods from their meeting agendas but declines to do so because of a desire for open communication with community members. Board member Brandy Santos said she was “so ashamed” at the events that unfolded during the meeting. Hagemeister said the public comments left her feeling sad.
“We need to serve our kids, and if there are things we’re not doing well, we need to find ways to do them better,” Hagemeister said. “I hope that we can find a way to do that, that does not devolve the way it did tonight.”
About half of those who spoke were in opposition to the training curriculum from BetterLesson. Matt Kennard, CEO of BetterLesson, told The Mercury earlier in June that his company’s educator training seminars are tools to “help teachers teach better” and are not related to critical race theory in any way.
District superintendent Marvin Wade, who did not attend this meeting, previously told The Mercury that the district pursued the voluntary teacher trainings to help address some problem areas in student success. The BetterLesson purchase, which totaled $61,500, was withdrawn at the May 5 board meeting because the funding source listed cannot be used for professional development.
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