School Board member Marcia Andrews (right), pictured in 2010.
A Palm Beach County School Board member is objecting to being warned to be “very careful” about criticizing Superintendent Wayne Gent, saying that she “won’t shirk my responsibilities” simply because Gent has hired private attorneys to defend his reputation.
In the latest twist in the escalating tension between Gent and the school board, board member Marcia Andrews on Monday admonished the school board’s attorney, JulieAnn Rico, for telling her and other board members last week “not to say anything negative about the Superintendent.”
“If I find it necessary to constructively comment during board meetings when I learn new information, I will do that,” Andrews said in a Monday email, which was obtained by Extra Credit.
“To clarify, I will not go out of my way to seek items to criticize,” Andrews wrote, “but I won’t shirk my responsibilities as an elected official managing an employee.”
Superintendent Wayne Gent
Andrews’ email comes at a time of high tension between Gent and some school board members.
Gent, a finalist for the superintendent position in St. Lucie County, last week hired the prominent Boca Raton law firm Weiss, Handler, Angelos and Cornwell in what some board members saw as an effort to discourage their public critiques.
That was after board member Debra Robinson called Jan. 25 for a special meeting to debate Gent’s “status,” arguing that he may have violated his contract by applying for the superintendent position in St. Lucie County without informing them.
But after Gent hired attorneys, Robinson asked to drop the debate from the agenda of last Wednesday’s board meeting.
As Extra Credit reported last week, the school board’s legal staff had warned board members that Gent’s attorneys might be at the board meeting and recommended that they refrain from criticizing him to avoid risk of lawsuits.
Gent was named a finalist for the St. Lucie job last week, and he will travel to Fort Pierce later this month to be interviewed by the school board there.
In her email Monday, Andrews argued that if she and other board members are being asked to refrain from criticizing Gent, he should be instructed not to criticize the board either.
“I’d like to ask you to discuss with the Board the possibility of writing a letter on our behalf to Attorneys Weis [sic] and Handler advising them that their client must be similarly instructed not to talk negatively about the School Board,” she wrote.
“It can impact the Board’s ability to attract high quality candidates for the position he suddenly chose to relinquish via non renewal of his contract.”
Here’s Andrews’ email in its entirety:
Dear Julie Ann,
I continue to have concerns related to my conversations with you over the past few weeks as it relates to contract and communication issues.
On last week you advised me and as you said, you advised all seven PBCSB Members that we should be “very careful” not to say anything negative about the Superintendent at the School Board Meeting or at future School Board Meetings. You indicated the Superintendent had retained attorneys at Weiss and Handler who planned to be present and/or planned to observe our board meetings. I do not want to see the School Board involved in a lawsuit.
I plan to continue to do the job PBC voters elected me to do. There are seven people who oversee the Superintendent’s performance to properly allocate the budget, lead and coordinate our student’s academic success and manage school district operations. If I find it necessary to constructively comment during board meetings when I learn new information, I will do that. That’s what voters expect me to do. To clarify, I will not go out of my way to seek items to criticize but I won’t shirk my responsibilities as an elected official managing an employee.
As your role is to represent us, the PBCS Board, I would like for you to work closer with the Board on these contract and communication issues.
I’d like to ask you to discuss with the Board the possibility of writing a letter on our behalf to Attorneys Weis and Handler advising them that their client must be similarly instructed not to talk negatively about the School Board. It can impact the Board’s ability to attract high quality candidates for the position he suddenly chose to relinquish via non renewal of his contract.
I will call you tomorrow and personally speak with you on this matter.
Sincerely,
Marcia
