The Groupthink Bully At Helm Of School Board
The Tampa Tribune
Published: October 24, 2008
Hillsborough School Board Chairwoman Jennifer Faliero only has a little more than a month left at the helm of this panel and given the dysfunction of this board and Faliero's attempts to muzzle opponents, that's a good thing.
Faliero sought this week to intimidate fellow board member April Griffin by motioning for security when Griffin didn't do as Faliero instructed. This was the kind of bullying one might expect to see on a playground, not on a panel of elected officials.
A skilled chairperson would know how to wrap up a discussion when it's going nowhere without threats. Granted, Griffin can be stubborn when trying to make a point, but nothing at Tuesday's discussion on board member travel warranted Faliero's threat to have Griffin thrown out of the meeting.
A minor disagreement started the conflict. Griffin wanted to travel to educational conferences other board members decided didn't comply with the new guidelines governing trips. Like much of the board's discussions, there was little focus on how to better educate our children - a topic which sadly doesn't inspire much passion on this panel.
Clearly losing patience with Griffin, Faliero banged her gavel to cut her off and then motioned for security to be ready to remove Griffin from the room. Those watching the meeting could hear board member Dorethea Edgecomb quietly pleading to Faliero, "Please don't do that."
The incident sent a chilling message on how the district will handle dissent. Earlier in her year-long term as chair, Faliero instructed public speakers not to identify school board employees they criticized, an infringement of the speakers' First Amendment rights. At least she realized her mistake then.
Not so here. She expresses no remorse. In a telephone conversation, Faliero told the Tribune she had no intention of having Griffin removed from the meeting, "but I had to do something to get her attention to halt."
That's called intimidation.
Faliero went on to say that Griffin has caused her own problems by being an outsider.
Griffin has been an outspoken critic of Superintendent MaryEllen Elia, who at one time had a personal friendship with Faliero. Griffin further upset the status quo by endorsing school board candidate Stephen Gorham, who is challenging incumbent Carol Kurdell.
Apparently, such independent thinking is not allowed on this board.
"April has publicly endorsed Stephen Gorham and there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes," Faliero said Thursday. "She's made it clear she's not a fan of the superintendent and doesn't support Carol Kurdell. There's a natural feeling of unrest when you have someone so blatantly disregarding the work of a team. She's put herself in a predicament. You don't build consensus by going against your own board."
The Hillsborough County School Board is an elected body, whose members, representing different constituencies, should have diverse opinions. To insist members act in lockstep muzzles the public's voice.
Faliero further said that whether it's "right, wrong or indifferent" the board is having trouble dealing with the fact that they are no longer a "collegial body."
She seems to have forgotten that voters elected board members to guide the schools, not form a club.
Democracy is about the free exchange of ideas without fear of intimidation. An elected official who doesn't understand that badly needs a civics lesson.
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