In
light of our school district's longstanding zero
tolerance policy for threats of violence, in light
of hundreds of student expulsions and suspensions
recommended by this five-member Board for zero
tolerance infractions, in light of recent school
shootings in our county, in light of workplace
violence in other sectors, in light of recent
terrorist violence in this country, I am calling
for Mrs. Sue Braun to resign immediately from
this Board of Education for having threatened
in a district e-mail to "shoot... with one
bullet" her colleagues John de Beck and me.
Mrs. Braun's apology is accepted. Her excuses are not. She needs to resign.
It is important to understand that Mrs. Braun can be removed from her office as an elected Board member in only two ways: by voluntary resignation or by citizen recall. So I urge her to resign immediately, to act in the interest of maintaining orderly process in public education in our city, and to salvage what is left of her reputation.
What happens when a student writes such an E-mail directed against a teacher? What would happen if a teacher wrote such E-mail directed against a principal? What would happen if an employee of the district directed such E-mail against another co-worker? What happens when a parent threatens a coach or a principal? In such instances, offenders are immediately removed from access to their intended victims and a disciplinary process follows. Zero tolerance means just what it says: violence and threats of violence carry serious consequences for those who break the rules.
The crucial questions in this matter are: What does the Board of Education stand for? What principles and policies do we uphold unequivocally? We decided years ago to stand for safe schools and a peaceful environment for the pursuit of teaching and learning. We try to stand by the fair administration of the zero tolerance policy for everyone. Surely we do not make a blatantly political exception for a Board member who threatens violence in writing against her colleagues.
It is disingenuous for the district's own legal office, the Superintendent and the Union-Tribune editorial page today to dissect the seriousness of Mrs. Bruan's written threat against Mr. deBeck and me. If we excuse and overlook the seriousness of Mrs. Braun's act, how can this Board ever again look at disciplining a student who does a comparable thing?
If Mrs. Braun remains on this Board, all future zero tolerance infractions will be subjected to two slippery standards: first, we will have to try to assess whether a threat is serious or "credible" before acting, and second, we will have to determine if the victim of the threat had it coming because the perpetrator felt "crazy, "tired" or frustrated.
I frequently feel tired and frustrated by my working conditions, but I don't threaten violence against my colleagues on the Board of Education. Mrs. Braun needs to resign from the Board of Education right now.
Frances O'Neill Zimmerman
Member
Board of Education
