"My child is LGBTQ and so now I'm out here fighting for their rights and their voice. Newberg school board votes, 4-3, to fire superintendent - KGW Newberg School District 29J Director Zone 2 They expressed their support for Morelock, saying he guided the school district through a financial crisis and rebuilt relationships in the community. We are just destroying one another, Powell said. 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. Newberg school board officially approves policy banning political symbols, Newberg teachers sue district, school board members over political image ban in schools, Newberg school employee goes to work in blackface, is put on leave. The ACLU celebrated the ruling in a tweet Thursday, saying they await the courts final order. The lawsuit further argued that prohibiting teachers from displaying signs in their classrooms was a violation of their rights of free speech and free association guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Newberg school board votes to fire superintendent, no cause given. She made remarks to a group of sixty in opposition to the recent ban on controversial symbols and imagery. 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. Is Wakanda Forever too woke for Marvels own good? Newberg is a town of 23,000 situated 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Portland. ", Oregon school district parent: Students of color 'are under attack' at Newberg schools, the Newberg Public Schools board voted 4-3 to keep any sort of political signage out of schools. Newberg School District - Wikipedia In a first, House Democrats elected a Black leader. Board delays decision on next Newberg school superintendent The policy bans employees from displaying controversial or political signs or symbols. Board chair Dave Brown did not reply to a request for comment. 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. "I feel like this is the nail in the coffin as far as her desire to stay and keep making change here," she said. VIDEO:School board fires Newberg School District superintendent. Newberg school board members appear to defeat recall by tight - opb NEWBERG, Ore. Newberg School District board member Ines Pea has resigned her position. NEA settles lawsuit against Newberg OR School District, board The apparel rule would only apply to staff while they are working. NEWBERG SCHOOL DISTRICT | 714 E. 6TH ST. NEWBERG, OREGON 97132 | (503) 554-5000. Im an elected official and I support my neighbors. "Just remember that from the darkest dark comes the brightest light. 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.". On Wednesday morning, KGW spoke to Heidi Pender, whose daughter is a freshman at Newberg High School. The decision comes a few months after a judge sided. 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. Yale honors Black girl who was reported to police as she sprayed lanternfli Tyre Nichols videos join patchwork of violent police footage. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against the Newberg School District and four members of the district's board of directors, challenging the district's . The conservative majority on the school board in Newberg voted 4 to 3 to adopt a policy that has attracted national attention, criticism and protests in the weeks since it was introduced. Board members serve four-year terms without pay. Piros seemed to allude to Morelocks lack of enforcement of the political symbols ban as a possible cause for his no-cause termination. School board zone map and written descriptions are available online: For questions contact Tabitha Renne at 503-554-5041. They think this quality will be hindered by the presence of ideological symbols. 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 . Penner and Piros spoke out against the resolution and the board's four members who were in support of it. The judge ruled Thursday that a policy banning certain symbols displayed in schools is unconstitutional. For months, the Newberg School District has been making headlines, while its school board mulls a. The board also voted Tuesday on whether to retain lawyer Tyler Smith, an outside attorney they initially hired at the end of August. Pefferle was fired over the blackface incident, according to the Newberg Graphic. The 4-3 decision drew widespread scrutiny regionally and across the U.S. as national news outlets reported on some of the blowback, namely the construction of a large Pride flag within sight of the citys high school. Forms will also be available at the regular session board meetings. On the day before Thanksgiving, as Newberg school district staff scrambled to fulfill other duties after the firing of superintendent Joe Morelock, Newberg School Board chair Dave Brown. My mom, in the 50s and 60s, fought for Black rights. If youre shopping for a new purse, check out these luxurious bags that look quite high-end, but cost less than $100. "These symbols arent hurting anyone and I dont see why banning them is necessary," said Pea. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He said in the Tuesday evening meeting that the policy championed and adopted by him and his conservative colleagues is very straightforward and shouldnt be controversial., We dont pay our teachers to push their political views on our students. A conservative majority now exists on the Board, after the local group "Save our Schools . Newberg School Board loses 2 more members over recent controversies case filed last year by a Newberg teacher, initial board conversations about the policy, celebrated the ruling in a tweet Thursday, the school board voted to fire Supt. 503-476-2636, Shelley Kolb . We're going to lose so much from this action. 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. 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. About 100 protesters gathered in downtown Newberg on Tuesday, weeks after a new conservative school board majority voted to ban staff and faculty from displaying Pride and Black Lives Matter banners in their buildings. Elected in May 2021 - Term expires 6/30/25 "Anti-free speech, anti-free expression, anti-safety.". I wont be able to enforce it as it is until weve gone through a bunch of legal review, he said. Many have called for the recall process of Board Member Shannon, the driving force behind the ban. 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. 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. ", "And I doubt that all four of you will even be here when the rebuilding really starts to happen," she said. 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. Protesters gathered at the city flagpole on South River Street in Newberg to speak out against the school boards decision, which passed after the board heard less than half of public comments during the virtual session. The union claims that the district policy violates state and federal constitution. Emails show Newberg school board chair rushing decision on interim "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. "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? 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. It argues that the policy violates the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment guaranteeing free speech and the 14th Amendment, which guarantees due process and equal protection under the law. "We will be paying for two superintendents," Penner said during the meeting. 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. ACLU sues Newberg school district, the latest of multiple lawsuits Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. So, not not removing Pride and BLM or any other group of people that wants to demonstrate acceptance, pride and support, none of that was harmful before. The superintendents cabinet of administrators issued a statement after the sudden vote saying it was shocked and dismayed. The group cited what they considered positive examples of Morelocks leadership, including his work turning the districts finances around, creating a safety net of over $9 million. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Were trying so hard just to be equal and be heard. 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. Newberg Public Schools Board of Directors / YouTube. Newberg school board recall: Brown, Shannon leads widening as votes The resolution outlining the no-cause firing was not included in the board packet for Tuesday's meeting. Elisha Fieldstadt is a breaking news reporter for NBC News. Screenshot taken from YouTube. Former board member Ines Pea resigned several months ago, alleging that she faced a toxic work environment on the board. As pressure mounted, the four conservative members voted to hire a. We are very disappointed in this decision.". 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). Board vacancies are filled through appointments made by a majority vote of the remaining board members, according to district policy. Board members said they did not receive the documents until the executive session that evening. He was hired as the permanent Superintendent beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. Those in favor did not explain their decision. School Board Meetings To understand what theyre going through right now is so important, said Hetrick.Jozie Donaghey, Holly Hetrick, parent and childrens counselor, This is a no-brainer. An Oregon school district voted Tuesday to ban Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ and other "political" signs, flags and articles of clothing from their campuses. He looked in people's faces and knew what impact his decisions would have.". Newberg school board hires new superintendent with past - opb They cant discipline her or them for putting up a poster in violation of the policy.. The Newberg school board is seen meeting over Zoom on Nov. 9, 2021. On that agenda: consulting with lawyers and discussing employee dismissals or disciplinary matters. After the vote to remove Morelock, Penner and Piros spoke emotionally about his impact on the district, and the board majoritys lack of reasoning given for firing Morelock. The Board hires the superintendent, who is responsible to carry out Board policies, provide educational leadership and manage the District's budget and staff. Wheres your sense of community?, If theres anyone out there hurting Im here for them, I love them and I see them., Ashley McGowan, a Newberg School District parent, says she came out to the protest because fighting for equal rights runs in her family. The ACLU of Oregon and law firm Davis Wright Tremaine argued that the ban violates the Oregon Constitution. My child is LGBTQ and so I came out here to support their rights and their voice., I would say to take the politics out of it. I dont believe this is political, its about human beings. She pointed at the opposition: We dont have a problem with them here, but they dont even let us get near them. As a family with BLM and Pride signs passed by the small contingent of conservatives, a Black father shouted, Black Lives Matter doesnt represent me. He and his son brought out a banner that read, #All Lives Matter.. Morelocks employment ends in 10 days, and the next school board meeting is scheduled for Nov. 23. A resident of Dundee submitted the complaint Sept. 30, saying the sign amounted to a gay pride poster and should be removed immediately. Newberg educators support Dr. Morelock and the 3 board members who tried their best to stop this atrocity. 2 More Resign From Contentious Oregon School Board - US News So everything will work out eventually.. The Newberg School Board's choice to ban BLM and Pride flags came following a shift in the Board's composition. To get in touch with any Director, you may contact them directly or contact School Board Secretary at 503-554-5000 The entire Board can be reached at boardmembers@newberg.k12.or.us. Related: Newberg school board officially approves policy banning political symbols. 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. IE 11 is not supported. Superintendents for Greater Albany Public Schools, Adrian School District School, and Woodburn have all been removed this year, for varying reasons. It wasnt until the meeting started, more than a half hour past the original 7 p.m. start time, that board chair Dave Brown added an agenda item to discuss the superintendent. Joe Morelock, Newberg school board hires new superintendent with past controversies in Beaverton, Jewell, Lawsuit targets Newberg school district policy banning political symbols. The board discussion and vote to remove Morelock was tense. Pender said she doesn't know how the school district will handle the financial ramifications of the firing. Newberg School District (29J) is a public school district headquartered in Newberg in the U.S. state of Oregon. I am proudly defiant of this boards illegal and immoral actions.. Trevor DeHart In a statement shared Thursday, the Oregon legislatures Black, Indigenous, People of Color Caucus said the boards decisions threaten Newbergs economic vitality. The group also said it will take action in the next legislative session. Electedin 2019 [8], An elementary school employee of the district reported to work wearing blackface in "protest" of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. I wanna ask why? 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. Piros said she had to file public records requests just to access all of the information Smith was sharing with other board members in the conservative majority. Maybe it's nothing to you as a white privileged male, but it's a really big deal to a lot of our community, a lot of our staff, and a lot of our students.. 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 . 503-887-6447, Raquel Peregrino de Brito Piros asked her colleagues to take more time before going forward with the major, unannounced decision. The reasoning behind the Boards decision is that the imagery is political in nature, and distracts from the already challenging task of preparing our youth with a quality education. Newberg school board member resigns | kgw.com YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The Oregon Legislatures Black, Indigenous and People of Color caucus condemned the move and the American Civil Liberties Union told The Newberg Graphic the ban is likely unconstitutional. "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. It's a huge hit to our school district," she said. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If you were in my position and someone took your love and support and identity away how would you feel? Late Tuesday night, the Newberg Education Association released a statement on the firing of Morelock: During tonights school board meeting, the 4 board majority fired Superintendent Joe Morelock for no cause. The Newberg Education Association argues the policy violates multiple sections of the Oregon and U.S. constitutions. BREAKING: This morning, the Yamhill County Circuit Court concluded that Newberg School District's anti-display policy violates Article I, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution. "Jozie Donaghey, Ashley McGowan, Newberg School District parent. [1], It is mostly in Yamhill County, where it serves the cities of Newberg and Dundee. Love is love, everybody has the right to choose. School Board | Newberg Oregon School District It's done, Rebecca," he said. 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. Meetings and Agendas Policies Programs and Services Student Success Act School Board Internal Staff Directory Strategic Plan Superintendent; Schools Welcome to our schools. One local grandmother noted that she had no problem with the opposition, her only concern was that she too wanted to be heard. Before the resolution was brought forward, Penner, Piros and Pena attempted to stop it and adjourn the meeting. After hearing from a fraction of. This is my senior year, and this ban would change everything, how I feel about being there. Prior to the public meeting, the board met in executive session, away from the public. 1:09. 714 East 6th St Making it easier for Black people to vote had unexpected consequences, Latinos who use Spanish-language social media get more misinformation, How public colleges have already backed away from affirmative action. She tried to get gas. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. What the district has done is unacceptable. Candidates' Forum Review - Newberg Neighbors for a Better School Board Under his leadership, new contracts with our associations brought better pay to teachers and staff, more educational school days for our students, a stabilized financial situation with a safety net of over $9 million in the ending fund balance, and the passage of the largest Construction Bond in the history of Newberg Public Schools. 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. 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.. They gathered at 4:15pm on Sept. 29 at the Newberg city centers flagpole where, fittingly, the citys major highway splits. Newberg teachers union sues district over BLM, Pride flag ban Take action today! I tell people you can pretend to care but you cant pretend to show up. The ban on displaying such symbols in the classroom has been condemned by the Newberg City Council and Oregon Democrats, and the Oregon State Board of Education has called on the school board to reverse course. 'Deal with it:' Newberg school board's conservative majority defends For the kids that cant say anything now, I wanted to be that voice for them. 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). 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. "This is going to set our district back decades. She announced her decision at a board meeting Tuesday night, citing a "toxic work environment." Board Chair, Director Zone 6 ", "This feels so draconian this feels so anti-everything," Penner said. Attempts to gain comment from the author of the board policy amendment, Shannon, for his thoughts on the settlement were unsuccessful by press time Saturday. 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. The remaining board members have been involved in multiple lawsuits. abruptly firing former Newberg superintendent Joe Morelock without cause, he board named as its next superintendent, Stephen Phillips. Citizens are encouraged to express their ideas, concerns and judgments through communication with District staff and Board members. Climate Conference in Glasgow, connecting Newberg with trouble and conflict facing school boards across the country. The two agenda items were pushed to a meeting later in August. NEWBERG, Ore. (KOIN) The Newberg Education Association is suing the Newberg School District after the. Appointed in 2022 -Term expires 6/30/23 The policy initially explicitly banned Pride and BLM symbols in all district buildings, but it was amended to broaden the language following a public outcry and concerns surrounding potential litigation. 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.
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