Correcting the record on another board member’s mis-statements

At the last board meeting (October 19, 2023), board member Ana Petero falsely said, “Board President Wilson in a letter to me on March 26, 2021 admitted that he used an expletive at the superintendent’s assistant, Mrs. Pierce. He was reprimanded and forced to apologize and subsequently declared himself a rubber stamp. Now using an expletive in anger is often expressed in an uncivilized tone. Mr. Wilson, though, was not censured.“

She was probably referring to this handwritten letter I’d sent her when she was new to the board. I had written, “I remember I went through some painful times … when I was brand new … (Don’t ask me about the time I had to apologize to Martha for saying “F*** this” right after a meeting!)”

She wasn’t there and only has this secondhand, but notice her conclusions, none of which are true:

1. That I used an expletive at the superintendent’s assistant
2. That I was reprimanded
3. That I was forced to apologize
4. That I subsequently declared myself a rubber stamp
5. That I was speaking in anger or an uncivilized tone

Those who witnessed this would affirm that all of these were false. (Here’s what happened: after the meeting I was making a point to a fellow board member about procedure and propriety and not expressing any emotion; I later learned from that board board member the superintendent’s assistant had overheard me and I was appalled; from a sense of decency I chose to apologize to her and nobody spoke of it again.) Anybody who knows me knows I would never be cursing at anyone, much less a school staff member. Perhaps board member Petero is projecting her own behavior onto others.

The accurate story probably doesn’t matter to her. It’s not the first time she has used a false story with my name to make some point or another. This time she was arguing against being censured for a list of offenses against the district (something I’ll have more to say about at a later time).

When at a public event this evening I asked to speak with her privately, she was not willing to even talk with me. But at least I can set the record straight on this point with this blog entry.