School Board Trades Sharp Words at Meeting Over Conduct

School board members traded sharp words at a special meeting Tuesday afternoon called to discuss board member behavior and conduct.

“I know you wanted to call this meeting to improve relations, but I think this has done more to harm community relations and board relations,” said Trustee Shirley Hoch, addressing Board President Maurice Goodman.

Goodman opened the floor for what he said was meant to be a wide-ranging discussion about board protocol, but most of the conversation centered around about a potential Brown Act violation at Saturday’s board meeting to discuss hiring the next superintendent.

“I feel very strongly that myself and my fellow board members have been falsely accused of something we didn’t do,” said Board Clerk Philip Weise. “I feel very strongly that the person who made those accusations should apologize.  This board is more committed to transparency than any board I’ve ever worked on.”

In a phone conversation with a reporter shortly after walking out of Saturday’s meeting, Hoch implied that the board was discussing items not on the agenda. Under the Brown Act, California’s transparency and open meeting law, legislative bodies are only allowed to meet in closed session for specific reasons and are supposed to stick to an agenda published ahead of time.

Goodman flatly denied that accusation, as did Weise.

“There was no violation of the Brown Act, and we never strayed from our discussion,” Weise said in a phone call Tuesday after the meeting.

Weise also questioned whether Hoch might have violated the Brown Act by disclosing information from a confidential meeting.

Tim Fox, deputy county counsel brought into Tuesday’s meeting to advise the board, said he didn’t think Hoch had violated the Brown Act because she didn’t disclose confidential information or actions taken by the board. A board member can’t be censured for expressing an opinion, Fox added.

“From my understanding, the only public statements of which I’m aware, there was no claim made that an illegal action took place. It was merely an expression of opinion that the board might have begun a conversation that was not agendized,” Fox said.

Hoch said she never actually alleged the board violated the Brown Act, but she stood by her remarks to Patch, in which she explained her exit from the meeting by saying, “I don’t want to violate the Brown Act… We can only go into closed session for the reasons that are listed on the agenda.”

Goodman questioned whether the Patch story, which said that Hoch alleged the board violated the Brown Act, was accurate.

He asked Fox, “From your reading, there were no allegations—would it be bad reporting?”

For her part, Hoch said that on Saturday, she followed the steps she was instructed to take in her Brown Act training.

“I was told if I felt the board was near to violating the Brown Act, I should stand up and say, ‘Stop, I believe you’re going to be breaking the Brown Act, and I don’t want to participate in this meeting.’ And at a certain point leave the room,” Hoch said. “And I want to be clear, that’s exactly what I did. I stand by every quote I made.”

“I want to double, triple state this: I in no way violated the Brown Act. I read the Brown Act routinely. I did exactly as I was trained to do,” Hoch said.

Board members continued to trade barbs as Goodman brought up other sensitive issues of board protocol, such as members attending meetings that could be perceived as negotiations and meetings between school principals and the superintendent.

“One of my perceptions has always been, officially, we are only actual board members when we’re sitting in session or we’re officiating at function,” Weise said, beginning to speak.

“We’re members 24/7,” Hoch cut in.

“Here, I’ll let you make my point for me,” Weise said.

Tension was high at the end of the meeting.

“I think a conversation like this should be healthy; I’m walking away disappointed,” said Trustee Liza Normandy.

Near the end of the meeting, Hoch requested that the board agree to move up its March 24 meeting on the superintendent search to speed up that part of the process. The meeting may be held as early as this weekend.