[B]URLINGTON – The school board here is waiting for a legal opinion from its attorney before deciding whether to release an investigator’s report regarding a racial discrimination complaint lodged by the superintendent against a board commissioner.
Newly elected board Chair Clare Wool said no decision will be made until she hears from District Attorney Joe McNeil regarding the release of the report compiled by independent investigator Daniel Troidl, a former Vermont State Police officer.
The board launched an investigation in February after former Chairman Mark Porter made accusations of racial bias against fellow school commissioner Jeff Wick, who is now the board’s vice chair. The exact nature of Superintendent Yaw Obeng’s complaint hasn’t been made public.
School commissioners received the findings late Easter Sunday afternoon. The board held a hastily arranged meeting that night with only two hours notice, despite McNeil’s advice that it was likely in violation of open meeting laws, and could see members tagged with $500 fines.
The board ultimately chose not to release the report, in what would be its final act. A slate of six new commissioners were sworn in before about 50 residents and onlookers at a special school board meeting on Tuesday at Hunt Middle School. Sunday’s meeting remained a hot-button issue.
“The board’s meeting on Sunday evening is an embarrassment to our community, and the board members who participated owe an apology to the people of Burlington,” said resident Bill Bryant.
New board members did not respond to the concerns during the meeting. The previous board signed off on Sunday with a recommendation for an investment in implicit bias training across the district.
Alison Segar, a school district parent and social worker, reminded board members that the community is eager for the body to show that it can make sure no child falls through the cracks, and follow through on strategies to close the achievement gap.
“There will be folks coming to meetings to ensure that you as board members stay true to your election speeches regarding transparency and equity,” she said. “It is a huge undertaking having the future of a community’s education in your hands.”
