Led by the superintendent, their goal was to review this situation over a period of six weeks in order to come to a determination about how to move forward. Dont wait. Is Wakanda Forever too woke for Marvels own good? Shotts asked the court to declare that the boards policy was unconstitutional and the court agreed, at least with respect to the free speech guarantee in Article I, Section 8, Crist said in an earlier story. The Newberg Education Association, a union representing 280 educators and staff in the district, wrote in a statement that it is extremely disappointed over the decision from the conservative majority. A White man was scared to death of Ralph Yarl. Please keep in mind that the school district is subject to Public Records laws. As an elected official you want to listen to understand their perspective and put yourself in the shoes of a gay person or trans person. Newberg School Board voted 4 to 3 on November 9 to remove Dr. Joe Morelock as superintendent without cause. VIDEO:School board fires Newberg School District superintendent. The policy limiting the kinds of images or signs school employees can display on campus originally began as a ban passed by the school board in August of LGBTQIA+ and Black Lives Matters flags. Superintendents for Greater Albany Public Schools, Adrian School District School, and Woodburn have all been removed this year, for varying reasons. An Oregon school district voted Tuesday to ban Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ and other "political" signs, flags and articles of clothing from their campuses. Newberg School District board member Rebecca Piros said she can no longer work with people who she feels do not have the best interests of every student and every staff member at heart, KGW-TV reported . We asked a few of the attendees why they turned out. I continue to stand with parents, students of color, LGBTQ students, and all members of the community who have courageously continued to speak out against the school boards unacceptable actions.. "This feels so draconian this feels so anti-everything," one board member said. It's done, Rebecca," he said. Removing Superintendent Morelock from his post is part of a troubling national trend of extremist school boards ousting experienced, valuable school leaders, which is detrimental to the students they are supposed to serve. If you could say something to the school board members making these decisions, what would you say? Its just such a bold statement to make, said Sophia. School board zone map and written descriptions are available online: For questions contact Tabitha Renne at 503-554-5041. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The Newberg School Board voted to terminate the contract of Superintendent Joe Morelock late Tuesday night, in a process that board director Brandy Penner, who voted against the firing,. The new dynamic has allowed the conservative board members to pass motions that the previous board neither permitted nor passed. "I protest that none of you had anything to say about why you wanted to do this, that the public is ," Piros said before she was interrupted by Brown. ", "This feels so draconian this feels so anti-everything," Penner said. She made remarks to a group of sixty in opposition to the recent ban on controversial symbols and imagery. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Related: Newberg school board officially approves policy banning political symbols. Those protesting or . Director Zone 1 Studies, statistics, research and experts can prove 100 times over that removing those items is harmful and thats what were looking at: trying to be supportive of kids. The policy was denounced by the boards three liberal members, who accused the conservative majority of passing a measure that the community does not want. NEWBERG An Oregon school board has banned educators from displaying Black Lives Matter and gay pride symbols, prompting a torrent of recriminations and threats to boycott the town and . I move that we table this and adjourn the meeting, I feel its too important to push this through, she said. Brown, the board chair, seemed unaware of the details of the complaint, despite its inclusion in the board packet. Director Zone 5 NEWBERG Two members of the Newberg School Board announced their resignations at a meeting earlier this week, citing controversial board decisions in the past year. The quality of some of the stories that we heard should count more than just the number of emails that we received, said Pea, who was wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt and rainbow headband during the virtual meeting. At the start of the public meeting, the boards conservative 4-3 majority voted to add the superintendent discussion, seemingly based on what the board had talked about when they were behind closed doors. Example video title will go here for this video. The Newberg School Board has rescinded a controversial policy that banned staff from putting up political signs or displays in schools. Whether heading on a camping trip, putting up guests or creating more sleeping space for a kids slumber party, air mattresses are useful to have. I feel like this has been on your agenda since Day 1, since the two new board members were voted on. The sign featured a rainbow, a heart, and the words "Be Known." The disputes in the Newberg School Board have come as schools nationwide have become rife with arguments over vaccine and mask mandates, how racism is addressed in teaching, instruction related to sexuality and gender-neutral bathrooms. Removing Superintendent Morelock from his post is part of a troubling national trend of extremist school boards ousting experienced, valuable school leaders, which is detrimental to the students they are supposed to serve, Bonamici wrote. "The fact that a person cannot run for school board in Newberg without having his or her life ripped apart is an absolute tragedy for our community and we ask every candidate in the race for school board to condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms." Emails to Brown seeking comment on Wolfer's withdrawal went unanswered by press time. Individual leaders who have voiced concerns with this policy include the Mayor of Newberg and the President of George Fox University; both of these leaders issued a harsh rebuke of those who classify school as an inappropriate place for discussing contentious issues. PORTLAND, Ore. ( Pamplin Media Group) The union that represents the nearly 300 teachers in the Newberg School District is heralding a settlement in a lawsuit that claimed the school. (KATU) NEWBERG, Ore. Voters in the Newberg Schools community are turning out in big numbers for the hotly debated recall of two school board members. The disputes in the Newberg School Board have come as schools nationwide have become rife with arguments over vaccine and mask mandates, how racism is addressed in teaching, instruction. NEWBERG Two members of the Newberg School Board announced their resignations at a meeting earlier this week, citing controversial board decisions in the past year. Think about the students before your own opinions., Parent and local counselor Holly Hetrick says she attended the protest to show support for all her middle school and high school clients, her LGBTQ children and their friends. We are just destroying one another, Powell said. The Newberg teachers union said the firing was another example of a board majority bringing instability to the districts schools. In May, the board named as its next superintendent, Stephen Phillips, who was put on leave amid an investigation in his most recent Oregon superintendent role and who resigned from another superintendent position after retweeting an offensive remark about people who enter the country illegally. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. She announced her decision at a board meeting Tuesday night, citing a "toxic work environment." I think the point of this is to show that you are trying to sow division with extremist views and you have no interest in listening to the community, school board member Brandy Penner said in the meeting. His mother says he told her White men were cha Sheryl Lee Ralph on her historic Super Bowl act: Its just really neat, Man who died after police used Taser had warned of heart issue, video shows, Memphis officer texted a photo of bloodied Tyre Nichols, records show, Harris, in funeral address, says Tyre Nichols should have been safe. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Meetings and Agendas Policies Programs and Services Student Success Act School Board Internal Staff Directory Strategic Plan Superintendent; Schools Welcome to our schools. "Anti-free speech, anti-free expression, anti-safety. On Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, who is the Chair of the Education and Labor Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services, released the following statement about the firing of Morelock: The action of the Newberg School Board in firing Superintendent Joe Morelock is wrong for students, wrong for educators, and wrong for the Newberg community. The resolution outlining the no-cause firing was not included in the board packet for Tuesday's meeting. "Know that your integrity has spurred us to be faithful servers to our children and we wish you well. Pender said when Morelock was hired, she felt like there was hope for the first time that the school district was headed in a better direction. Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. This means ensuring school boards are held accountable; that there is access to training around educational equity and governance that is action-oriented for leaders; securing students a say and a voice at the policy-making table; and making sure superintendents jobs are protected when they are simply following the law, according to the statement. The district will have to pay Morelocks salary and benefits for the next 12 months, according to a reading of Morelocks contract during the meeting. Take action today! Cherice Boch (left) and her son Espen at a Newberg protest on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. We wish you well, were so sorry, she said. Those in favor did not explain their decision. At the end of the meeting, the resolution to fire Morelock passed, 4-3, with Brown, Shannon, Powell and DeHart voting in favor. I will do everything in my power to create an environment that makes all students feel safe and supported so they can learn and thrive, Shotts said. The boards decision comes at a time when Newberg, a city of 25,000 in Oregons wine country, has been embroiled in state and national culture wars over free speech, racism and vaccinations. In Newberg, four of the seven board members voted to fire Morelock, who was under contract through June 2024. NEWBERG, Ore. A Yamhill County Circuit Court judge has ruled that the Newberg School District's ban on some symbols, including Pride and Black Lives Matter flags, is unconstitutional, the. Director Zone 2 They were represented by Karen OCasey of the Portland law firm Hart Wanger. Because they're cowards and they know they're going to get sued. This has been the shadiest, shadiest process ever and unfortunately, it is our children who will have to pay for this. On Sept. 1, Morelock said during a board meeting that he wouldn't uphold the ban because he'd been advised by district lawyers that it was illegal. He referred to a packet given to board members in executive session, but not shared publicly, that had to do with Morelock. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Under new business, we are discussing the superintendent, said board chair Dave Brown. Newberg School District 29J For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. Im so in awe at how many people are here because my experience wasnt the best so seeing everyone so gung-ho about it is heartwarming.. Support the news and programs youll rely on in 2023 and beyond! Published: Jan. 18, 2022, 8:41 p.m. An initial attempt by the Newberg school board to ban Black Lives Matter and Pride imagery was met with widespread protests in the city. And those are my kids. "Anti-free speech, anti-free expression, anti-safety.". And Im just very disappointed in this decision., Thanks Rebecca, Morelock told her. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The lawsuit requested a jury trial, sought an injunction stopping enforcement of the boards directive and asked for a declaratory judgement from the bench admonishing the board for their actions. Board member Rebecca Piros said she can no longer work with people who she feels do not have the best interests of every student and every staff member at heart, KGW-TV reported. One local grandmother noted that she had no problem with the opposition, her only concern was that she too wanted to be heard. 971-385-2880, Tabitha Renne "I have no idea, financially, how our school district will recover from this. They filed a lawsuit against the school district and the four board members who voted for the policy chair Dave Brown, vice chair Brian Shannon, Renee Powell and Trevor DeHart. During the meeting, staff members visibly shook their heads and teared up. The board also voted Tuesday on whether to retain lawyer Tyler Smith, an outside attorney they initially hired at the end of August. An Oregon school board on Tuesday voted to ban educators from displaying Pride flags, Black Lives Matter symbols or other emblems in the classroom that are considered political, quasi-political or controversial, despite pushback from teachers, lawmakers and residents. Since the board meeting, elected officials around Oregon have responded to the firing with anger and concern for the districts future. Both the school principal and Morelock dismissed the complaint, saying the sign and its message are not political, quasi-political, or controversial. The four conservative members of the board voted, 4-3, to fire Superintendent Joe Morelock at the end of Tuesday night's school board meeting. Shannon and Smith, the lawyer, both interjected to remind Brown that he could not deny the motion to wait, but then the motion failed anyway. U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat whose district includes Newberg, weighed in with an emailed statement from the U.N. Amanda Boothby, a 2015 Newberg High School graduate, organized Tuesdays demonstration. It's a huge hit to our school district," she said. When the conservative majority of the Newberg school board voted in early November to oust the district's superintendent, board chairman Dave Brown advocated for an accelerated process to name Joe Morelock's successor by January. Board of Directors I dont serve Black people, an attendant told her. We can continue to create safe spaces in our schools and offer support to students who identity as LGBTQIA+ and students of color without fear of retaliation.. No final order has been made. They cant discipline her or them for putting up a poster in violation of the policy.. The case, filed by the ACLU of Oregon on behalf of Newberg school employee Chelsea Shotts in December 2021, challenges a policy approved by the school board last year. I just cant stand for it., The lack of action prior to this did not demonstrate any harm. The settlement, according to a release from the Newberg Education Association, accomplished three things, primarily that the school board will not appeal the lower courts ruling that the ban be lifted; that the board will either add language to GBG recognizing the lower courts ruling or rescind the amendment entirely, which the board did at its Jan. 10 meeting; and that the board reimburse the union for a significant portion of the legal fees incurred from fighting this illegal amendment, the release said. Jozie Donaghey | The Oregonian/OregonLive, ban staff and faculty from displaying Pride and Black Lives Matter banners, construction of a large Pride flag within sight of the citys high school, The Newberg Graphic the ban is likely unconstitutional. In response to the reoccurring demonstrations against the School Board's decision, a group of counter-protesters who support the School Board's decision stood on the southeast side of the intersection. A conservative majority now exists on the Board, after the local group "Save our Schools . Comments submitted via email, that are intended to be read aloud by the superintendent (or designee), need to be sent to publiccomment@newberg.k12.or.us no later than 4:00 pm the Monday prior to regular session. Public comments are scheduled for regular session board meetings only. So everything will work out eventually.. "Dr. Morelock, we know you and we trust you and this pains us terribly," she said. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). State and local leaders across Oregon have spoken out against the actions of the board majority over the last few months. Elisha Fieldstadt is a breaking news reporter for NBC News. abruptly firing former Newberg superintendent Joe Morelock without cause, he board named as its next superintendent, Stephen Phillips. They should be able to wear their shirts and signs that say Black Lives Matter and Asian Lives Matter and whatever else.