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. 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. She said her daughter cried when she told her. For Black boys, this isnt A Black man was dismembered. This motion was not allowed to go to vote. On Wednesday morning, KGW spoke to Heidi Pender, whose daughter is a freshman at Newberg High 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. Controversy in Newberg persists after the recent Newberg School Board decision to ban both Black Lives Matter (BLM) flags, and Pride flags. The main office is located at 714 E. Sixth Street in Newberg. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "This feels so draconian this feels so anti-everything," one board member said. "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. 30 minutes have been allotted for public comments, with a two-minute limit per person. 503-476-2636, Shelley Kolb "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. "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? She made remarks to a group of sixty in opposition to the recent ban on controversial symbols and imagery. Forms will also be available at the regular session board meetings. 714 East 6th St He has been key in the transformation of a struggling district. NEWBERG, Ore. When the Newberg School District Board of Directors voted 4-3 to fire former Superintendent Joe Morelock without cause on Nov. 9, multiple dissenting board members. 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. 503-501-6035, Renee Powell 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 . Newberg Public Schools Board of Directors / YouTube. The ACLU celebrated the ruling in a tweet Thursday, saying they await the courts final order. 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. Smith, the lawyer, continued his involvement in the board meeting, directing Brown of the language to use in moving to terminate Morelocks employment. 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 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. The board discussion and vote to remove Morelock was tense. Support the news and programs youll rely on in 2023 and beyond! School Board Meetings "These symbols arent hurting anyone and I dont see why banning them is necessary," said Pea. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The Newberg School Board has rescinded a controversial policy that banned staff from putting up political signs or displays in schools. Love is love, everybody has the right to choose. Gunn then appealed Morelock's decision to the school board. 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. At the time the complaint was filed, Shotts said both she, as a queer staff member, and students should be safe and supported. 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. The settlement, rendered in December, means the court case will not go forward. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Responding to Morelocks termination, Oregon House Democrats said theyll take action on Newberg in the next legislative session. Find Your . 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. 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. Why dont they? Our human rights arent political, period. The school board and district are already the target of a lawsuit filed earlier this month by the Newberg Education Association. Were going to move forward.. 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. Symbols of hate and symbols of love do not go together, and they never shouldve been lumped together in the first place., Ashley Pea, a Newberg student, said she came to the protest because the school board didnt listen to enough students before making their decision on Aug. 10. Be a part of it! One is expected soon. Two board members resigned from the board this week citing this and other recent moves by the board.Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian. Under new business, we are discussing the superintendent, said board chair Dave Brown. Dont wait. Thomas Crist, a Portland attorney who filed a friend of the court brief in the case on behalf of the plaintiffs, concurred with his cohort from the legal community. He was hired as the permanent Superintendent beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. 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.. After hearing from a fraction of community members who have opinions on the subject, the Newberg Public Schools board voted 4-3 to keep any sort of political signage out of schools. 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. Boothby says she organized the protest because when she attended Newberg High School she didnt always feel welcome as a gay student. After voicing strong objection to the move, the board's other three members, Rebecca Piros, Brandy Penner and Ines Pea, voted against. 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 related to sexuality and gender-neutral bathrooms. Its clear their personal politics are stronger than any real desire to come together as a school community, the group said on Facebook. The school board voted to ban Black Lives Matter and pride flags. ", "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. The protest countered a new school policy that bans Black Lives Matter and Pride flags across Newberg School District facilities.Jozie Donaghey. Defendants and their agents acted under color or authority of state law, the lawsuit continued. 408-472-4257, RonRilee No, Brown replied. And Im just very disappointed in this decision., Thanks Rebecca, Morelock told her. The ban is complaint-based. Ashley Pea, a Newberg student, said she came to the protest because the school board didn't listen to enough students before making their decision on Aug. 10. These symbols arent hurting anyone and I dont see why banning them is necessary., Siblings Charlie (left) and Sophia Gates attended to protest because as Black students they say their voices are being silenced. 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. 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. There has been insufficient public comments, input, notification, and it is 10:30 at night on a school night, Penner said. parents, moving secondary school schedules to trimesters, and changing start times to earlier for all ages. As a publicly elected official, mother, and human, I will not break the law or engage in open and hostile discrimination, she said. 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,. Both the school principal and Morelock dismissed the complaint, saying the sign and its message are not political, quasi-political, or controversial. The board will later decide what counts as "political," but Pride flags and BLM messages were repeatedly referenced during the meeting. 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. The complainant appealed the decision. Directors say they need more information before choosing; next round of interviews set for May 5. 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.. It makes me feel unsafe in my district and like Im not being heard., I would ask them how can you do that to your kids, your community?

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