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| Karen Reinhardt |
A South Shore Regional School Board member who allegedly breached 11 sections of the code of ethics is telling her side of the story. In an exclusive interview with CKBW/HANK-FM News, Reinhardt says the Board had planned a special meeting for November 15, but it wasn't supposed to be about her being censured. Reinhardt says the Board didn't inform her about being censured until after she was volunteering overseas.
"I think that it's a bit unfair. To let me go away and believe one thing, I don't know why they didn't let me know that. They weren't fair enough to let me know that before I left, because I think they were aware of it before I left."
Reinhardt says she wouldn't have made the trip to Liberia if she had known before-hand that the Board planned on making a censure motion. She also wanted to clear the air over allegations she interfered in the school review process. Reinhardt says members exchanged emails and phone calls because they felt they had no time or opportunity to discuss school review before the March 30 meeting. Reinhardt says she doesn't feel she's done anything wrong.
"I don't think there's anything wrong, I can't see anything wrong with board members talking with each other and exchanging information. I don't think that subverts, not only, democracy, but it doesn't subvert board authority at all, especially when 10 board members voted for the motion not to review any schools at this time."
She says School Board Chair Elliott Payzant should also shoulder some of the blame.
"I mean, I do blame the Chair a little bit, because knowing that there was initiative from more than one board member to have a discussion about this, he could've called a special meeting and then we could've done it within the perameters of bylaws and regulations, but that didn't happen."
Reinhardt says final reports, with significant changes, were given to the board just before the March 30 meeting began, giving them no time for careful review or deliberation. Reinhardt also reacted to recent comments by the Education Minister. Ramona Jennex criticized the Board's decision Monday evening, for not making a responsible decision to censure Reinhardt. The vote failed to pass by a 7-4 margin. Reinhardt says she's not sure how to take the Minister's comments.
"She does have a couple of options open to her, neither one of which, in my mind, is terribly pleasant for anybody including her. But, I don't know what to think about what part of that she was dissatisfied with."
Jennex can still decide to overrule the Board's decision and vacate Reinhardt's seat, or the Minister can choose to disband the entire Board. To hear Reinhardt's full interview, tune into this weekend's South Shore Sunday Morning program from 8-9am on HANK-FM and 9-10am on CKBW.
