On that agenda: consulting with lawyers and discussing employee dismissals or disciplinary matters. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Former board member Ines Pea resigned several months ago, alleging that she faced a toxic work environment on the board. In a statement released Tuesday night, district administrators at Newberg Public Schools lauded Morelock for his successes: A bilingual English and Spanish speaker, Dr. Morelock became Interim Superintendent for the 2018-2019 school year, with the district in significant financial difficulty after having to lay off staff. Neither the school board nor Newberg Public Schools Superintendent Joe Morelock immediately responded to requests for comment early Wednesday. 503-501-6035, Renee Powell State and local leaders across Oregon have spoken out against the actions of the board majority over the last few months. Newberg School Board voted 4 to 3 on November 9 to remove Dr. Joe Morelock as superintendent without cause. Board Member Piros, one of the dissenting members regarding the ban, offered an avenue to discuss the issue further by creating a team of six faculty and two staff members, as opposed to simply adopting more general language. The Board hires the superintendent, who is responsible to carry out Board policies, provide educational leadership and manage the District's budget and staff. After hearing from a fraction of. "Our children should not bear the brunt end of partisan politics meant to further divide. He was hired as the permanent Superintendent beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. In the matter of three months, four people have completely destroyed that.. "I feel like this is the nail in the coffin as far as her desire to stay and keep making change here," she said. Never mind that the Newberg School Board has made two significant decisions in the last month without involving many (or any?) The ACLU has threatened to sue if the ban remains on the books, and its not clear how this new bans legalese will affect its prosecution. State Rep. Ricki Ruiz said he was "disappointed by the actions taken from Newberg School Directors to ban pride and BLM flags from schools, and their attempts to roll back on anti-racist school policies such as the Every Student Belongs policy. [7] This ban ended in 2023. Since the school board approved the policy in September 2021, tension and conflict has continued among school board members, district employees and those in the Newberg community. Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. 503-476-2636, Shelley Kolb She announced her decision at a board meeting Tuesday night, citing a "toxic work environment." My daughter wears rainbow pajamas all the time, Shannon said. Dr. Morelock has worked tirelessly on behalf of our students and staff. I believe we should be able to express how we feel about certain topics without judgement from the school district. It is exclusive to this particular case, though, and doesnt apply to the other lawsuits that have been filed against the district and the school board, of which there are many. It argued that the boards ban introduced as an amendment to board policy GBG in July 2021 by vice-chairman Brian Shannon and approved by chairman Dave Brown and directors Renee Powell and Trevor DeHart was so vague and overbroad it could impact teachers abilities to work in the district. It's done, Rebecca," he said. 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. Sept. 23, 2022 9:50 a.m. "Newberg Public Schools Contact Information", "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Yamhill County, OR", "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Clackamas County, OR", "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Washington County, OR", "Count of homeless students in Oregon school districts, 2008-2009", "The Newberg school board issue: How did we get here? "This is going to set our district back decades. Mailing Address for the Board Board of Directors Newberg School District 29J 714 East 6th St Newberg, Oregon 97132 Please keep in mind that the school district is subject to Public Records laws. Director Zone 5 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. Pride flags can literally save someones life, and youre just going to take that away?, Proud Boys supporter pleads guilty to threatening Sen. Rafael Warnock: Dead men cant pass laws, N.C. hospital system fires about 175 workers in one of the largest-ever mass terminations due to a vaccine mandate, Essential reporting from around the world, Oregon school board bans Pride and Black Lives Matter symbols in the classroom, Ukraine live briefing: Kyiv targeted by missiles; explosions in Russia derail train, damage power line, Philippine presidents White House visit reflects sharp upturn in ties, Eyeing China, Biden official floats a new Washington consensus, The deadly world of white-supremacist prison gangs. Superintendent: Dr. Stephen Phillips Elected in May 2021 - Term expires 6/30/25 School board zone map and written descriptions are available online: https://bit.ly/3MULBka For questions contact Tabitha Renne at 503-554-5041. 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.. 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. Newberg Public Schools Board of Directors / YouTube. The. Oregon school worker suspended for showing up in blackface in apparent protest of vaccine mandate. These counter-protesters noted they simply wanted to voice their support for the ban. The Newberg School Board usually meets at 7:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. 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. 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 . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The Wednesday protest failed to prevent the Board from adopting a more general, legalese-styled ban, as it more broadly bans political, or controversial materials, rather than the BLM or Pride flags specifically. It protects marginalized populations in our student and staff bodies. Newberg educators support Dr. Morelock and the 3 board members who tried their best to stop this atrocity. Board members Brandy Penner and Rebecca Piros, both in the boards three-member minority, said the sign was not political, especially coming from George Fox, a private Christian university in Newberg. Comments submitted via email, that are intended to be read aloud by the superintendent (or designee), need to be sent to [email protected] no later than 4:00 pm the Monday prior to regular session. For the kids that cant say anything now, I wanted to be that voice for them.Jozie Donaghey, Amanda Boothby, Newberg High School graduate and protest organizer. Two board members resigned from the board this week citing this and other recent moves by the board.Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian. Why did you organize it? Board members serve four-year terms without pay. The board will later decide what counts as "political," but Pride flags and BLM messages were repeatedly referenced during the meeting. Elisha Fieldstadt is a breaking news reporter for NBC News. Other groups including the Newberg Education Association, Oregon Education Association, and Basic Rights Oregon, as well as the BIPOC Caucus of the State Legislature have expressed concern and disapproval with this problematic ban. "Know that your integrity has spurred us to be faithful servers to our children and we wish you well. I tell people you can pretend to care but you cant pretend to show up. Related: Newberg school board officially approves policy banning political symbols. Latino leaders could collaborate with Black communities. Every student belongs in school, every student deserves to learn in a welcoming, and safe environment.". Superintendent Joe Morelock said he will have to meet with the district's lawyers before enforcing the ban. The ACLU celebrated the ruling in a tweet Thursday, saying they await the courts final order. Board member Brandy Penner said she had endured an abusive and disrespectful work environment on the board, and said the board had violated public meeting laws. abruptly firing former Newberg superintendent Joe Morelock without cause, he board named as its next superintendent, Stephen Phillips. Directors say they need more information before choosing; next round of interviews set for May 5. 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. A conservative majority now exists on the Board, after the local group "Save our Schools . 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.. Man shot by Salem police officer was person of interest in police car shootings, 'I am sorry': Shemia Fagan ends consulting side job with cannabis company, Portland temperatures soaring after weeks of near-record rainfall, Newberg teachers union sues over 'political images' ban in schools, Newberg school board votes to ban teachers from displaying BLM, Pride symbols in classrooms, Dozens in Newberg rally against hate amid ban on political signs. With their continued attack on symbols of support for Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ pride, the school board is on a dangerous and harmful path. They knew or should have known that their actions were unlawful under both the Oregon and federal constitutions., The lawsuit also alleged that the school board violated teachers 14th Amendment rights to due process and equal protection by adopting a directive that is vague and overbroad in its scope, leaving association members without guidance as to what speech is prohibited and potentially a violation of district policy leading to potential discipline by the district and/or or their licensing through the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.. The district will likely need an interim superintendent as the school year continues. pic.twitter.com/XqAevRkRB7. 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. By banning these symbols theyre saying were not accepted here.Jozie Donaghey, I came out tonight because I didnt agree with the school boards decision and didnt think they listened to enough student voices, so Im here exercising my right to protest for representation we deserve., You know, they mentioned a lot that putting these flags in classrooms would make people uncomfortable, but I think they should look at the other side of that tooby banning the flags, theyre saying were not accepted here. Why would you remove something that wasnt harmful but is going to cause harm?, Roland Herrera, a Keizer City Council member, says he attended the Newberg protest against the political ban in the school district to support his neighbors. 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. Our human rights arent political, period. But critics remain upset about what the adopted policy will mean for the school district. The remaining board members have been involved in multiple lawsuits. We could have upheld the Newberg traditions of the past and collaborated together as a united team.. School Board Meetings The parties jointly moved to dismiss the case on the grounds it was now moot, Crist said. I move that we table this and adjourn the meeting, I feel its too important to push this through, she said. These demonstrations have been coordinated by a group called Newberg Rejects White Supremacy, which can be found through the Instagram handle, @newbergrejectswhitesupremacy. The union claims that the district policy violates state and federal constitution. The community blowback led the Newberg School Board to alter the language of the ban on Sept. 1, removing the specific mentions of Pride and BLM. School board director and vice chair Brian Shannon, who voted for the measure and added the language about apparel, said the "main goal of this is to get political symbols and divisive symbols out of our schools so we can focus on the already difficult task of educating our students in the core subjects.". This is an after-party of four members, so I say lets just vote get it over with. She added, Its going to be our community, staff and students who are left to fight this.. I feel like this has been on your agenda since Day 1, since the two new board members were voted on. If you looked at the agenda for Tuesdays Newberg school board meeting, youd have no idea the board was planning to fire Superintendent Joe Morelock. Protests against the School Board decision take place on a weekly basis, though pro-BLM demonstrations in Newberg were first inspired over a year ago in the wake of the racial justice demands that were revitalized in 2020. She made remarks to a group of sixty in opposition to the recent ban on controversial symbols and imagery. With that, the board turned to their actual conversation about Morelock. Board member Brian Shannon urged the board to vote instead for the newly-revised ban described above, and move on from the controversy. Board Member Penner chastised Shannon for his disregard of the importance of this issue: Thats a ridiculous attempt at trying to pretend that this is nothing. 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. About 100 people turned out to protest the Newberg school board's decision to ban Pride and Black Lives Matter symbols. Facing an ending fund balance of less than $500,000 on a $51 million General Fund Budget, Dr. Morelocks fiscal responsibility and his work to rebuild trust steadied the district. Those wishing to speak at the regular session will need to complete the Newberg School Board Public Comment form and submit it to the board secretary prior to the start of the meeting. Joe Morelock last November, two board members faced recall elections in January, and since last year, dozens of staff members have resigned from the district, including several district administrators and principals from six of the districts 10 schools. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 503-887-6447, Raquel Peregrino de Brito Director Zone 2 "That was her first reaction, grief," Pender said. Trevor DeHart We are just destroying one another, Powell said. If you want to plan the perfect spring picnic, food and drink are important, but its certainly not the only factor to consider. The complainant appealed the decision. They should be able to wear their shirts and signs that say Black Lives Matter and Asian Lives Matter and whatever else. When I was there these symbols were allowed, so to see it come to this is really disappointing. 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. 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. She tried to get gas. Tue, January 18th 2022, 2:18 PM PST. Families, staff, and community members marched in support of the LGBTQ+ community and Black Lives Matter ahead of a Newberg school board meeting Aug. 10, 2021. Elected in 2019 - Term expires 6/30/23 If the school board had rescinded the policy back in August 2021, when we along with our Newberg community, spoke out publicly against the changes, and then again when we directly addressed the board on the matter warning them we would be forced to pursue legal action and finally when we served them with a tort claims notice, we could have saved hours of legal preparation and public funds, it said in the release. Before the resolution was brought forward, Penner, Piros and Pena attempted to stop it and adjourn the meeting. For the kids that cant say anything now, I wanted to be that voice for them. Penner responded: "You know exactly why, Rebecca. We are very disappointed in this decision.". Be a part of it! Amanda Boothby, a 2015 Newberg High School graduate, organized Tuesdays demonstration. The employee was terminated from her position. 503-554-5041 The split between the boards majority and minority was clear, with members in the majority remaining quiet, and minority members repeatedly objecting to the speed of the conversation and pointing out the cost, financial and otherwise, of losing Morelock. ", "Policies such as ESB are in place to ensure students feel welcome and safe while learning," he said. 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. "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. Recently, The Newberg Graphic has reported on two different lawsuits that involve the ongoing feud between the conservative majority of the Newberg public schools board and the sinister mafia-esque group called Newberg Equity in Education, which as I have previously reported, is a splinter cell of Progressive Yamhill AKA Save Yamhill County PAC AKA Yamhill County Democrats, led by Lynette Shaw . The main office is located at 714 E. Sixth Street in Newberg. A sign depicting a rainbow flag with a heart superimposed, along with the words Be Known, in Shotts classroom window at Dundee Elementary was the subject of the first complaint under the policy. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. [9], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}451735.56N 1225840.39W / 45.2932111N 122.9778861W / 45.2932111; -122.9778861 (Newberg School District office). The initial vote drew immediate backlash from community members, sparking peaceful protests from the LGBTQ and Black communities. Board of Directors Morelock, who was silent up to that point during the discussion of the resolution, answered. She said her family was heartbroken when they heard that Morelock had been fired. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Regular business meetings are currently scheduled for the second Tuesday with work sessions being held on the fourth Tuesday. The lawsuit was filed in August 2021 on behalf of four teachers and counselors: Jennifer Schneider, Andrew Gallagher, Katherine Villalobos and Sara Linnertz. The Oregonian confirmed that the district will pay Morelock $175,000 over the next 12 months, cover his health insurance and pay $5,000 into an annuity on his behalf. Meetings and Agendas Policies Programs and Services Student Success Act School Board Internal Staff Directory Strategic Plan Superintendent; Schools Welcome to our schools. This Oregon school-related article is a stub. "He made sure he was in schools every week with kids interacting," she said. I dont serve Black people, an attendant told her. "Dr. Morelock, we know you and we trust you and this pains us terribly," she said. My mom, in the 50s and 60s, fought for Black rights. Take action today! Newberg School Board Public Comment Sheet- Intent to Speak, May 2nd, 2023 @ 6:00 pm - Budget Committee Mtg. 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. The school boards vote to terminate their superintendent Tuesday night comes after months of local and national attention on their effort to ban what proponents deemed political symbols, as well as several racist incidents involving staff and students. You know exactly why," she said. Brown, Shannon, Powell and DeHart, the school board members who voted for the policy, were named in a lawsuit on Nov. 3 levied against the Newberg School District and the four board members by the Newberg Education Association. A simple pride or BLM flag in a classroom shows the love and acceptance that we need, Till said. DISCLAIMER for All Communications with District Staff and Board Members: The Board believes that community participation in school affairs is essential if the school district and the community are to maintain mutual confidence and respect and work together to improve the quality of education for students. 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. Morelock has been the superintendent of Newberg School District since July 2018. In Newberg, four of the seven board members voted to fire Morelock, who was under contract through June 2024. Dont wait. 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. Contacting a School Board Member This move is yet another example of a board majority bringing instability to our schools. The lawsuit, first filed in Yamhill County Circuit Court by the Portland law firm Bennett Hartman, was advanced to U.S. District Court in Portland in December 2021 as a civil rights case. That means the board cant enforce the policy against Shotts or, for that matter, anyone else. The Oregonian cited Morelock's contract, which the newspaper obtained through a public records request. We asked a few of the attendees why they turned out. 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. Unfortunately a few school board members are forcing through these inappropriate, and possibly illegal, changes, which will have long-lasting consequences and threaten student safety. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. They cant discipline her or them for putting up a poster in violation of the policy.. "He had a very personal approach and didn't just sit in his office and make decisions arbitrarily. The three board members who did not vote for the policy banning controversial or political symbols resigned over the course of the last year, alleging harassment. The school board voted to ban Black Lives Matter and pride flags. Also Tuesday night, the board discussed its first complaint under the new political symbols ban, a rainbow sign in an elementary school window that said Be Known, a slogan used by George Fox University. Newberg is a town of 23,000 situated 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Portland. An Oregon school district voted Tuesday to ban Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ and other "political" signs, flags and articles of clothing from their campuses. They gathered at 4:15pm on Sept. 29 at the Newberg city centers flagpole where, fittingly, the citys major highway splits. Were going to move forward.. At the end of the meeting, the resolution to fire Morelock passed, 4-3, with Brown, Shannon, Powell and DeHart voting in favor. Pefferle was fired over the blackface incident, according to the Newberg Graphic. The Newberg School Board's choice to ban BLM and Pride flags came following a shift in the Boards composition. This was the argument voiced by those who arrived on Oct. 1 not associated with Newberg Rejects White Supremacy Rally. Yale honors Black girl who was reported to police as she sprayed lanternfli Tyre Nichols videos join patchwork of violent police footage. Controversy in Newberg persists after the recent Newberg School Board decision to ban both Black Lives Matter (BLM) flags, and Pride flags. Everything will work out eventually OK," he said. Piros asked her colleagues to take more time before going forward with the major, unannounced decision. Prior to the public meeting, the board met in executive session, away from the public. Easterday granted a summary judgment in the case of teacher Chelsea Shotts vs. the district and the four conservative members of the board. She said her daughter cried when she told her. The Newberg School District and four of its board members face a lawsuit over a policy banning political and quasi-political symbols. To me its sad that were still doing this, because Ive been out here doing this since the 60s and we have to keep being on top of it., I would tell them to listen to the folks. The students are not being heard., The board was also expected to work on "replacement language" for the district's anti-racism policy and consider re-examining the Oregon Department of Education's "Every Student Belongs" policy, which, in part, "prohibits hate symbols, specifically three of the most recognizable symbols of hate in the U.S. the swastika, the Confederate flag, and the noose.". I dont believe this is political, its about human beings. "It's over. The board is also expected to discuss challenging the state's mask mandate at their next meeting. The vote came after a charged conversation in which three board members strongly objected to the resolution to fire Morelock. All rights reserved (About Us). Think about the lives it will really affect. Penner then asked Brown to adjourn the meeting, despite there being more items on the agenda, saying, "I don't think anything constructive will happen with this board again.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Board member Brandy Penner countered that the top five performing schools in the state had diversity coordinators and diversity statements, while the districts that were struggling educationally have a "lack of anything to do with equity. The Yamhill County Circuit Court has made a decision in a case filed last year by a Newberg teacher against the school district and four members of the school board. Shotts, a special education teacher in a Newberg elementary school, filed the lawsuit with the aid of the American Civil Liberties Union and a Portland law firm in late 2021, challenging the boards policy restricting political, quasi-political or controversial displays, including Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ flags. Board vice chair Brian Shannon, who created the initial wording of the political symbols ban, called it the grayest of gray areas. Because they're cowards and they know they're going to get sued. ", "Oregon school board drops ban on LGBTQ pride, Black Lives Matter and other symbols", "Oregon school worker suspended for showing up in blackface in apparent protest of vaccine mandate", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Newberg_School_District&oldid=1134844881, This page was last edited on 21 January 2023, at 00:40.
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