Brookings school board member reprimanded for ethics violation

 The Brookings-Harbor School Board reprimanded one of their members this week for allegedly harassing a high school employee over bookkeeping issues.

The board met in executive session Monday to consider a complaint filed against board member Allene Fewell. After a brief, private hearing, the board moved into public session, where its members voted 4-1 to censure Fewell, who cast the dissenting vote. No other details of the board’s action were given.

“We censured Allene Fewell for a violation of the Board Member Code of Ethics,” School Board Chair Linda Morgan said Friday.

Morgan declined to explain what the specific violation was, saying it was a personnel issue. Under Oregon law, personnel issues can be discussed in closed session, and the discussion not reported to the public.

Fewell is an elected official and not an employee of the school district. However,  Morgan explained, the board conducted the meeting in executive session based on advice provided by the Oregon School Board Association.

The Curry Coastal Pilot’s attempts to reach Fewell for comment Friday were unsuccessful.

On Monday, the school board held the executive meeting after Brookings-Harbor High School bookkeeper Tina Peters filed a formal complaint against Fewell for defamation of character. At the center of the complaint was a special audit Fewell requested of the high school’s financial records. The audit, approved by then Superintendent John Garner, was conducted in August.

“That audit cost the district $4,200,” Peters told the Curry Coastal Pilot on Friday. “Even after the audit showed I did nothing wrong, she continued to criticize the high school bookkeeping.”

While Fewell did not use Peters’ name when complaining to others, there is only one bookkeeper at the high school, and everyone knows who that is, Peters said.

Peters said she didn’t know what Fewell’s reasons were for questioning her bookkeeping, and that she had a good working relationship with Fewell before Fewell’s election to the board.

“I do my job with pride,” she added.

Peters is married to school board member Brad Peters, who voted in favor of sanctioning Fewell.

Based on guidance from the Oregon School Board Association, the board did not feel that Brad Peters needed to be recused from the matter, said Interim Superintendent Brian Hodge.

Fewell is a former volunteer with ASPIRE (Access to Student assistance Programs In Reach of Everyone). She was elected to the school board in May, 2009.

She was a member of the 2009 budget subcommittee tasked with recommending school budget cuts, the high school site council and was a member of the committee that hired former Superintendent John Garner.

 Brookings-Harbor School District

 Board member Standards of Conduct

A Board member should:

1. Comply with the Code of Ethics for public officials provided in state law;

2. Understand that the Board sets the standards for the district through Board policy. Board member do not manage the district on a day-to-day basis;

3. Understand that the Board makes decisions as a team. Individual Board members may not commit the Board to any action;

4. Respect the right of other Board members to have opinions and ideas which differ;

5. Recognize that decisions are made by a majority vote and should be supported by all Board members;

6. Make decisions only after the facts are presented and discussed;

7. Understand the chain of command and refer problems or complaints to the proper administrative office;

8. Recognize that the Board must comply with the Public Meetings Law and only has authority to make decisions at official Board meetings;

9. Insist that all Board and district business is ethical and honest;

10. Be open, fair and honest – no hidden agendas;

11. Understand that you will receive information that is confidential and cannot be shared;

12. Recognize that the superintendent is the Board’s advisor;

13. Take action only after hearing the superintendent’s recommendations;

14. Refuse to bring personal or family problems into Board considerations;

15. Give the staff the respect and consideration due skilled, professional employees;

16. Present personal criticism of district operations to the superintendent, when appropriate, not to district staff;

17. Respect the right of the public to attend and observe Board meetings;

18. Respect the right of the public to be informed about district decisions and school operations as allowed by law;

19. Remember that content discussed in executive session is confidential;

20. Use social media Web sites judiciously in a manner that does not violate Oregon’s Public Meetings Laws;

21. When using social media Web sites, Board members will treat and refer to other Board members, staff, students and the public with respect;

22. Never post confidential information about students, staff or district business on any Web sites.