Trustee censored
Email
Print
Letter to Editor
Share
Updated: October 20, 2009 2:21 PM
In what new Langley School District secretary-treasurer Wayne Braun called “a very unusual” motion, the Board of Education chair was challenged and had to temporarily step down from her duties after censoring Trustee Rob McFarlane from speaking last Tuesday night.
In the “trustee activities” portion of the meeting, McFarlane started to read from a statement he had prepared regarding discussion that took place at a Sept. 18 in-camera meeting.
He was abruptly cut off by board chair Joan Bech who ruled his comments out of order because his comments were from an in-camera meeting. McFarlane challenged the chair and the ruling.
“This is not only in-camera items. These are already publicly-released information,” he said.
Bech responded that because his comments would reference in-camera meetings, he can’t discuss anything without permission from the board.
Bech was then relieved as chair and vice-chair trustee Wendy Johnson took over.
A recess was called to review Roberts Rule of Order on how to deal with this situation.
In the end, the board voted to sustain the chair (bring back Bech), with only McFarlane and Johnson opposed.
Following that decision, McFarlane announced he was postponing his notice of motion on a whistle blower policy to consult further with the board and staff on how to proceed with it.
This followed by a speech by Bech asking for “respectful” discord in these trying times.
“It’s going to be a difficult year. It’s been suggested the board should apologize. For my part, I apologize. My goal is to keep it respectful . . I am asking people choose words with care.”
v2
