Lawrence school board President Kelly Jones floated the idea of pausing public comment after a confrontational exchange between the board and a frequent Lawrence public commenter on Monday.
Board members told the commenter he was violating their public comment policy’s decorum rule, which he protested. The situation Monday lasted around 25 minutes, during which the board took two recesses.
The commenter has been speaking to the board with explicit language at the past two meetings.
“I’m mostly concerned that it’s disrupting our business at this point, so,” Jones said, reflecting later in the meeting. “It’s not something I ever imagined considering, ever — to not allow public comment.”
In an attempt to proceed with agenda business, the board voted 6-1 to move the rest of public comment to the end of the meeting. Yolanda Franklin was the dissenting member and later said that was because she believes “we can sit here for two minutes, three minutes, and take whatever abuse somebody has to give us so that the kids don’t have to do it.”
When the commenter persisted and police presence in the room would not make him sit down or remove him, the board took another vote to reverse their first one.
The board voted 6-1, Shannon Kimball being the dissenting member, to allow the commenter to proceed with his remaining minute and a half of time. Kimball later said she voted “no” because it’s essential the board is able to carry out its rules and denounce bullying.
“For some reason in this community, we seem to have lost the ability to enforce reasonable decorum rules in public meetings to protect the integrity of the people who serve, the people who work in these spaces and the people who observe these meetings, including our teachers and our students and our parents,” Kimball said. “And I think that there needs to be some really deep soul searching as to why that kind of behavior is OK in these spaces but not in other spaces.”
Another public commenter who has spoken virtually at the last three meetings using explicit language was removed during his comments after he spoke first Monday. A third commenter who used explicit language at the past two meetings was permitted to speak uninterrupted Monday.
Jones said the board can temporarily stop allowing public comment and revisit it later, and she plans to further consult board leadership and the interim superintendent.
In other business:
• Student safety: Interim Superintendent Jeanice Swift began her commentary time Monday by addressing news she shared with families and staff earlier in the day.
The Lawrence Police Department said two Prairie Park Elementary School students were allegedly sexually assaulted by a school employee. LPD investigators said they discovered evidence that led them to arrest Mark Elliott Gridley, a 60-year-old speech and language pathologist, on Saturday. The district attorney’s office has formally charged him.
Read more in this article.
Swift said the district is supporting police investigations and will keep families and staff updated.
“And we will continue in our school to focus, I know, on our No. 1 priority, which is to keep our students, staff and families safe,” Swift said. “And we’ll work through this concerning situation together over the coming days.”
Both Swift and Jones asked those with concerns or reports to call LPD’s investigative line, 785-830-7430.
• Snow removal equipment purchase: The board on Monday approved the purchase of 15 new snow blowers to replace old ones. Board members voted on the purchase as part of their consent agenda, a list of items routinely approved in one motion unless a member or the superintendent pulls an item for further discussion.
The 15 snow blowers from Heinen Outdoor Power Equipment will cost $26,760, to be pulled from the district’s capital outlay fund.
• Special meeting announcement: Jones has called a special board meeting for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 at district offices, 110 McDonald Drive, to discuss the search for the next permanent superintendent.
The board will be in executive sessions, or closed-door meetings, with Kansas Association of School Boards representatives. There will be no public comment, which is typical for special board meetings.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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