The entire school board for the Oakley Union Elementary School District abruptly resigned Friday, two days after members were caught at the start of a virtual board meeting on an open microphone that the parents despised and used the language.
The loss of the school board in the city of Contra Costa County prompted the country’s education board to immediately appoint two of its members to temporarily oversee the district. A third appointment is pending. The temporary board will be in place until new school board members are elected or appointed, said Superintendent Greg Hetrick, school district.
The crisis for the district comes amid the closure of the coronavirus school and because parents have forced their local boards to reopen schools.
That was the issue that led to public comment on Wednesday. Before the meeting officially began, councilors chatted casually about parents complaining about children still learning at a distance. They did not realize when the online meeting had already been opened to the public and that their comments could be heard by others.
Council chair Lisa Brizendine said: “It’s a shame they have to choose us because they want their babysitters back.” Other board members agree. One used swear words when referring to a parent, and the group laughed while joking with parents.
At one point, a listener sends a message to the group saying that their comments are being heard.
“Nah-uh,” Brizendine said. When she realized that the remarks had been heard, she said sarcastically: ‘Great’.
The video of the meeting, which was later uploaded to YouTube, immediately upset parents and led to a petition asking for the resignation of the board members involved.
Hetrick addressed a letter to district families on Friday, saying Brizendine and the other councilors, Kim Beede, Erica Ippolito and Richie Masadas, had resigned. A fifth place on the board was vacant.
Beede, Ippolito and Masadas issued a joint statement saying they were “very sorry about the comments made earlier this week during the Education Council meeting.”
“As trustees, we realize that it is our responsibility to model the behaviors we expect from our students and staff, and it is our duty to build trust in district leadership; our remarks have failed you in both respects, and we apologize for the inconvenience, ‘they wrote.
Hetrick calls the comment “unfortunate and truly inappropriate”. He said the school district will continue efforts to “bring our students back to school.”
Friday after the resignations, provincial education council president Annette Lewis appointed herself and county council member Mike Maxwell to the Oakley School Board.
“I look forward to working with the (Oakley) community to determine the best way to fill these seats with people who will be in the best interests of students, families, teachers and school staff,” Lewis said.
The Oakley board needs three members to have a quorum. The third vacancy will be filled by councilors Consuelo Lara or Alaina Villeda.
Brizendine did not respond to emails and calls Friday.
She apologized for comments she described as “insensitive and unsolicited”, in a statement provided to KTVU News. She said she was raising a child with special needs while occupying two jobs, describing the situation as a ‘great tension’.
Michael Williams is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @michaeldamianw