UPDATED With Extra Angst: Indian River School Board Goes Directly To Executive Session
May 6th, 2008 by Maria EvansSUBTITLE: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY
The Indian River School Board meeting in Executive Session tonight.
So, let’s just get right to it, the Indian River School Board met tonight in Dagsboro, and, as they warned WGMD News earlier in the day via e-mail…
Tonight’s special meeting of the Indian River Board of Education was scheduled for the purpose of addressing the state budget crisis and its impact on our district. These discussions will take place in executive session, as will any discussion related to the situation at Sussex Central High School. There will not be a public comment session at this meeting. However, the board will host two public comment sessions at its next regular monthly meeting on May 27.
…they went right into executive session.
Now, under the cirumstances, (you know, with Dana Goodman, the Sussex Central High School principal sitting in prison for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a student), you’d think they would have taken the time to at least speak to the small group of parents who showed up.
Incidentally, the parents didn’t want to comment on Sussex Central principal Dana Goodman, either. In fact, the only thing the parents had to say was that they were there to, “support our school and our administration,” whatever that means. They could certainly learn a lesson from the parents in the Cape Henlopen School District who take the board to task on a regular basis.
It was pretty obvious from my short interview before the meeting with Board President Charles Bireley that no one wanted to discuss Principal Dana Goodman. AUDIO For the record, he denied that the Board ever received a formal complaint from anyone about Dana Goodman. No letters, no e-mails. Just “rumors.”
Dr. Don Hattier was more forthcoming when I spoke with him on his way in, saying that if the charges against Goodman are true, “he’s gotta go.” AUDIO Holy cow, what an understatement.
Superintendent Susan Bunting said she was advised not to discuss the situation other than it being a “personnel” issue.
Is this the same Indian River School Board that fought a religious lawsuit tooth and nail? I guess maintaining the label “Easter Break” on a vacation was worth the lawsuit, while commenting on a principal who may have been boinking a student just isn’t worth the hassle.
Or maybe the Indian River School Board just cares about things that they think are popular. Apparently religion in schools is popular and protecting students from a possible sexual predator is not.
We’ll see, since they’re supposed to release a statement today.
And while I’m at it, I want to point out this comment from our blog:
It’s about time someone questioned the behaviour of the ‘victim’.
Yeah, a 17 year old girl. I guess this commenter doesn’t think that adult male human beings have the ability to restrain themselves.
We send our kids to school for like 7 hours a day, and we have to be able to trust the teachers and administrators who come in contact with them. I don’t care if the girl left school at the end of the day to turn tricks, when she walks into Sussex Central High School, she should be out of bounds for any adult.
Good grief. Did I actually have to take the time out of my day to explain that to some of you?
As Uncle Ben said in Spiderman “Remember, with great power, comes great responsibility.” We give a “great responsibility” to the schools we send our kids to, and when they fail us this miserably doors shouldn’t be closed to the public.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Who in their right, thinking mind, “doesn’t think that adult males have the ability to to restrain themselves”? Don’t presume or assume, Maria…that would be akin to me assuming or presuming others don’t believe 17 year olds can and do know the difference between right and wrong, appropriate or inappropriate behaviour or conduct, when..where…and with whom. Most do which would belie the “victim” attitude. Time we taught the rest that when you can think for yourself, unless you are attacked, treated with or held by force, you DO have a choice. And sixteen, seventeen year olds know what choice is…they make them every day unless we, as parents, responsible adults, fail to teach them such from a much earlier age.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Well, Well, I was at Indian River School Board meeting last night. I was chit-chatting with reporter for Delaware State News. I believe they started : executive session at 6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. The school board meeting started after 7 pm. in the library at old IRS now IR Administrative. The reporter was there for story about Dana Goodman. The meeting was short about 10-15 minutes then they broke into second executive session for 10 minutes. The reporter finds out from school board member, “they can’t comment after talking to their lawyer”. The reporter & I leave seperately.
May 7th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
In my opinion, bringing up anything about the victim’s reputation in this case is out of line. Period.
The type of person who SHOULD be a principal at a school would be the type of person who would take a girl going down the wrong path and talk to her about her value as a human being instead of taking her to a motel.
The people in Indian River should be demanding better.
May 7th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
And Roy, I was there until about 6, it was clear that the Board wouldn’t say a word. No outrage, no “we’ll make sure this never happens again,” nothing. Shameful.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I might agree with you if I (or anyone) had, indeed, ‘brought up the ‘victim’s’ reputation’. However, reputation was not at all in question…period. It was behaviour in this particularl instance. While I have also never suggested that it is or was, in any way, wrong to castigate the alleged perpetrator for behaviour or wrong-doing much has been made of “thirty counts of sexual assault”, “since January until a week ago” and, in general, how long this ‘victimization’ went on. You surely don’t expect any rational person to wonder why, in the name of reason, anyone who is free to come and go to/from assignations and say yes or no, would not end it, let alone start in the first place. This entire thing stinks from start to whenever it may finish but enough of the victim verbiage, already.
Yes, we ALL need to demand much better of our school districts, our educators, society as a whole but also of our children. Patting them on the head when they are old enough to make better choices and muttering “Awwww…poor thing…” serves nothing.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Maria, oh really, otherwise, the executive session started at 5:00 instead 6:00 p.m. that was indicated from WBOC remote.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I took that picture right after the board went into that room and shut the door for their executive session. According to my Atlantic Cellular, Verizon Wireless picture phone, I took that pic at 17:37.
May 8th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Dr. Bunting and the Board have caused their own “angst.”
Keep asking questions. Don’t let them convince you that they didn’t have a clue anything was going on. They knew plenty and their actions are cowardly and show 100% lack of accountability.
Know and understand that this very policy is put in place to protect the Board and the Superintendent from being held accountable when situations like the one with Goodman come up. This is not the first time a situation like this has happened. IRSD just wasn’t as lucky this time. They can’t hide behind the “procedures” and simply claim — “we followed them.”
If Dr. Bunting claims they “followed procedure” then the next question should be:
The “procedures” didn’t work with keeping IRSD kids safe … SO, what are YOU and YOUR SCHOOL BOARD going to do about it in order to ensure our kids are safe from this day forward?
That IS THEIR JOB; their #1 JOB - to maintain a safe and orderly environment in all their schools. They failed miserably — all of them and they know it.
If THE SCHOOL BOARD and DR. BUNTING were truly vested in the safety of the students in IRSD, they would begin to examine their OWN ACTIONS.
Now that is true accountability - looking at one’s own actions… something IRSD continues to have a problem with.
Keep asking, keep pushing.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
I am reminiscing the days of the good ole blue and gold (SCHS) of mine. I’d love to share with you something that my principal shared with me. Although he was not an English teacher and I was cold busted for skipping two morning classes, after the verbal reprimand and phone call to my mother, I asked him what the difference between the spelling was. Principal and Principle. He told me that the easiest way to remember the difference (in spelling) was that the School’s Principal was spelled with Pal. Ie: your friend. (Most of my friends don’t wave the paddle but neither did he, although it was hanging on that paneled wall in his office.) He wanted you to feel comfortable with him and to respect him.
Remembering that from my teen years and viewing the latest situation as an adult, blows me away. I still can’t believe that a principal could take his position so lightly that he would make the choice to hook up with a dingbat hormonal teen, more than once.
Outrageous. Blame them all, including her parents.