We are supposed to be here for all children and to make all children feel safe and welcome, and by lifting one group or several groups over another, thats not welcoming and safe.. 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. Public comments are scheduled for regular session board meetings only. On that agenda: consulting with lawyers and discussing employee dismissals or disciplinary matters. 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. "We will be paying for two superintendents," Penner said during the 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. Morelock has been the superintendent of Newberg School District since July 2018. 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. Superintendent: Dr. Stephen Phillips Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. Board . Love is love, everybody has the right to choose. ", "And I doubt that all four of you will even be here when the rebuilding really starts to happen," she said. 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. Never mind that the Newberg School Board has made two significant decisions in the last month without involving many (or any?) Trevor DeHart Schneider and other members who oppose the ban believe the flags provide a source of safety and security to underrepresented and vulnerable students. Time is set aside at the business meeting for public comment. Before the resolution was brought forward, Penner, Piros and Pena attempted to stop it and adjourn the meeting. Under new business, we are discussing the superintendent, said board chair Dave Brown. In a statement sent after the meeting, the Superintendent Cabinet of Newberg Public Schools said it is "shocked and dismayed that the Board would take this disruptive action in the middle of the school year.". Newberg teachers union sues district over BLM, Pride flag ban This page is not available in other languages. 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 . Be a part of it! Contacting a School Board Member 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. Neither the school board nor Newberg Public Schools Superintendent Joe Morelock immediately responded to requests for comment early Wednesday. Our human rights arent political, period. As a mentor, I always tell folks to put yourself in the others position and then see what you think, I dont know what happened to empathy, but its taken a hit the last few years. When I was there these symbols were allowed, so to see it come to this is really disappointing. Newberg is a town of 23,000 situated 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Portland. The vote came after a charged conversation in which three board members strongly objected to the resolution to fire Morelock. The Newberg School District board has hired Stephen Phillips to serve as the district's next leader. This article was published more than1 year ago. Easterday granted a summary judgment in the case of teacher Chelsea Shotts vs. the district and the four conservative members of the board. The move elicited suspicion by the three minority members of the . 1:09. "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. So everything will work out eventually.. This Oregon school-related article is a stub. 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 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. [7] This ban ended in 2023. 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. 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. This is a tough one, Im not going to lie.. 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. "Anti-free speech, anti-free expression, anti-safety.". 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. Oregon's Newberg School Board bans Pride, Black Lives Matter symbols in 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. One local grandmother noted that she had no problem with the opposition, her only concern was that she too wanted to be heard. 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.. He looked in people's faces and knew what impact his decisions would have.". Morelock, who was silent up to that point during the discussion of the resolution, answered. The Newberg School Board's choice to ban BLM and Pride flags came following a shift in the Boards composition. Just stop the hate. I dont serve Black people, an attendant told her. Meetings and Agendas Policies Programs and Services Student Success Act School Board Internal Staff Directory Strategic Plan Superintendent; Schools Welcome to our schools. Newberg school board hires new superintendent with past - opb A conservative majority now exists on the Board, after the local group "Save our Schools . 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. Four members of the school board voted to fire Supt. rennet@newberg.k12.or.us. In one of them, a staff member showed up for work in blackface in an apparent protest of the districts coronavirus vaccine mandate for employees and was subsequently fired. 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. Smith, the lawyer, continued his involvement in the board meeting, directing Brown of the language to use in moving to terminate Morelocks employment. The board voted to table that item during Tuesday's meeting. 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. (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. Dr. Morelock has worked tirelessly on behalf of our students and staff. Pender said she doesn't know how the school district will handle the financial ramifications of the firing. That does make me a defiant outlier in the face of this board. I just cant stand for it., The lack of action prior to this did not demonstrate any harm. The decision in suburban Portland follows a pair of recent racist incidents at Newberg Public Schools. Penner said the decision will set the district back several years. In August the Newberg school board voted to ban pride and Black Lives Matter, and any broadly political signs, clothing, and other items. Mailing Address for the Board Board of Directors Newberg School District 29J 714 East 6th St Newberg, Oregon 97132 The board decided to table the decision to uphold or reject the districts response to the complaint, voting along the same 4-3 line as with most other decisions they made Tuesday. The board enacted contentious policies over the past year, including a ban on teachers displaying pride and Black Lives Matter displays on campuses which was later expanded to all political displays after legal concerns and abruptly firing former Newberg superintendent Joe Morelock without cause. The firing is effective Nov. 19 and according to board member Brandy Penner, the district will continue to pay Morelock his salary and benefits for the next 12 months, in addition to paying the salary and benefits for the district's next superintendent. NEWBERG, Ore. A bitterly divided Newberg school board, which has been enveloped in controversy for the past few months over its decision to pass a policy limiting the kinds of images or signs school employees can display on campus, voted to fire Superintendent Joe Morelock near the conclusion of a late-night board meeting Tuesday. Following the vote, Piros spoke again, addressing the four board members who voted to fire Morelock. Newberg School Board loses 2 more members over recent controversies ACLU sues Newberg school district, the latest of multiple lawsuits 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. 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. 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. 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. ", 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. 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,. abruptly firing former Newberg superintendent Joe Morelock without cause, he board named as its next superintendent, Stephen Phillips. And the packet that we just received a couple of hours ago, while we were in a meeting, is certainly not sufficient time for me to review it and understand it.. 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. 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. U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat whose district includes Newberg, weighed in with an emailed statement from the U.N. They think this quality will be hindered by the presence of ideological symbols. 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. Newberg school board votes, 4-3, to fire superintendent - KGW 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. This is my senior year, and this ban will change everything.Jozie Donaghey, I came out tonight because I dont agree with the school board decision in banning our flags because I dont think theyre controversial. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Easterday also granted the school districts and board members argument that the policy is not necessarily discriminatory under Article 1, Section 20 of the state constitution. Director Zone 5 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. Board members serve four-year terms without pay. Wolfer withdraws from school board race - NewsBreak 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. The Newberg School Board's choice to ban BLM and Pride flags came following a shift in the Board's composition. Those in favor did not explain their decision. 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. [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). At the time the complaint was filed, Shotts said both she, as a queer staff member, and students should be safe and supported. Directors say they need more information before choosing; next round of interviews set for May 5. Everything You Need to Know About the Newberg School Board Lawsuits Zone Name Term Ends 1 Trevor DeHart 2025 2 Shelley Kolb 2023 3 Ron Rilee 2023 4 Raquel Peregrino de . Newberg School District (29J) is a public school district headquartered in Newberg in the U.S. state of Oregon. This motion was not allowed to go to vote. "I have no idea, financially, how our school district will recover from this. 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. It's a huge hit to our school district," she said. OPBs critical reporting and inspiring programs are made possible by the power of member support. Morelock had been superintendent for two years and was under contract through June. Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. The two agenda items were pushed to a meeting later in August. Plaintiffs seek a declaration that the district policy prohibiting plaintiff association members from hanging, posting, erecting or otherwise displaying any posters, signs, flags, banners, pictures or other digital or physical image that depicts support of opposition relation to a policy, quasi-political or controversial topic, violates plaintiffs guarantees under Article 1, Section 20 of the Oregon Constitution against vague laws that confer unbridled discretion, because such discretion creates the potential for unequal application of the law, and thus arbitrary or unequal treatment of individuals, the filing said. However, this topic will be on the minds and tongues of many in Newberg and its greater community for some time. 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 Snapchat group sometimes specifically targets Black students. These demonstrations have been coordinated by a group called Newberg Rejects White Supremacy, which can be found through the Instagram handle, @newbergrejectswhitesupremacy. Former board member Ines Pea resigned several months ago, alleging that she faced a toxic work environment on the board. Regular business meetings are currently scheduled for the second Tuesday with work sessions being held on the fourth Tuesday. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Sept. 23, 2022 9:50 a.m. Elected in May 2021 - Term expires 6/30/25 This move is yet another example of a board majority bringing instability to our schools. 971-409-5792, Dave Brown Both the school principal and Morelock dismissed the complaint, saying the sign and its message are not political, quasi-political, or controversial. 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.