OAKLEY, Calif. (AP) — All members of a San Francisco Bay Area school
board resigned days after they were heard making disparaging comments
about parents at a virtual board meeting they didn’t realize was being
broadcast to the public.
The four members of Oakley Union Elementary School District Board had
stepped down by Friday amid growing outrage that began with the board’s
Wednesday meeting. Before the meeting officially began and unaware the
public could see and hear them, they used profanity and made jokes about
parents just wanting a babysitter or to smoke pot in their home.
The incident garnered national attention and widespread
condemnation.
The district’s superintendent, Greg Hetrick, announced the resignation
in a letter Friday and said that Contra Costa County education board
members will replace them in an interim capacity, the Mercury News reported.
“We deeply regret the earlier comments that were made in the meeting of
the Board of Education earlier this week,” a joint statement by now
ex-board members Kim Beede, Erica Ippolito and Richie Masadas says. “As
trustees, we realize it is our responsibility to model the conduct that
we expect of our students and staff, and it is our obligation to build
confidence in district leadership; our comments failed you in both
regards, and for this we offer our sincerest apology.”
Beede, Ippolito and Masadas join board President Lisa Brizendine, who
announced her resignation Thursday.
Trustees were awaiting the start of the meeting when they began
discussing parents’ letters and social media posts about reopening
schools.
Beede defended herself against a parent who chided her on social media
for going to a party during the coronavirus pandemic after declaring it
wasn’t safe to return to school.
“I wasn’t doing anything bad — I honestly don’t care about that part —
but are we alone?” she asked the other trustees. “B—-, ..If you call me
out, I’m going to f—you up.”
“Sorry, that’s just me,” Beede added.
After some laughter, Brizendine chimed in to commiserate with CONTINUE READING: Entire School Board Resigns After Trash-Talking Parents In Hot Mic Moment | HuffPost