On January 14, 2023, the Rochester Community Schools’ Board of Education voted to pass a Disclaiming Motion against me. Trustee Anness introduced the motion, and Trustees Bueltel, Anness, Bull, and Gupta ultimately voted to pass the motion. Trustees Litkouhi and Muska, as well as myself, voted against the motion. The basis for this motion was that I had violated the board norms and broken trust by releasing and omitting confidential information. They offered no proof that I had released or omitted any information before they voted to pass the motion.
I would like to address each claim to provide the facts; in their rush to pass a motion (that wasn’t on the agenda and with no notice to the public that new business was being introduced after the meeting had been adjourned), they did not address these facts.
Claim #1
“Trustee Andrew Weaver violated our board norms and trust amongst his board colleagues by sharing confidential information from the Board’s employee, Dr. Robert Shaner, with news media and on his social media pages.”
Facts
As of January 14, 2023, the letter Dr. Shaner sent threatening to sue the Board nor the supporting document were posted on any of my social media pages. The article written by The Detroit News was shared. The article does not say that I released the letter to The Detroit News, and I was never asked by any of the Trustees voting yes on the motion if I had, in fact, released the letter. Additionally, this letter is a matter of public record; it was not marked “Confidential” as board norms would require for confidential information. Also, a community member has bragged on social media multiple times about seeing the attachments; if this is a confidential document, how would someone who is not on the board have access to it?
Summary
They passed a motion that could have legal implications based on assumptions.
Claim #2
“Trustee Weaver also omitted the accompanying documentation that lays out the communication our district administration has had with him over time, which informed the rationale of the letter.”
Facts
As with the letter, I was never asked about releasing or omitting the supporting documents. That The Detroit News did not write about the supporting documents does not prove they do not have them or that no other media outlet has them.
The supporting document is a list of the first six emails that I sent to Shaner in 2020. For each email sent, there are bullet points “that lays out the communication our district Administration had had with him (me) over time.” This was Dr. Shaner’s response to my post that it had been 863 days since I first reached out to him and that I had never received a direct response. There is not one bullet point on the supporting document that refutes what was said in my post. It does list 22 bullet points, 2 of which are calls to me from members of Dr. Shaner’s staff. One of these calls was on September 15th, 2020, with Lori Grein, and one was on October 9, 2020, from Amy DiCresce. I remember the call with Lori Grein and even reference it in one of my e-mails. Their records show it lasted 31 minutes. The “record” of the call from Amy DiCresce had no time listed; I do not have a record of this call. Also, in my 31-minute call with Ms. Grein, she did not answer any of the questions I posed.
Summary
They passed a motion that could have legal implications based on assumption and lied about the supporting documentation supporting why Shaner sent the letter.
Claim #3
“At no time do the majority of the Rochester Community Schools Board of Education feel threatened by this communication sent from Superintendent Dr. Shaner.”
Facts
During a phone call on December 22, 2022, between Trustee Bull, Trustee Bueltel, and myself, both Bueltel and Bull stated they were concerned about the risk of Shaner filing a lawsuit. Bull stated, “when he says he will seek legal redress in another venue, he most likely would have a case.” Bueltel had concerns with the cost of defending ourselves. These two clearly, at that point, felt that the letter was a threat of legal action. I also felt it was a threat of legal action. Trustee Litkouhi has indicated that she also felt it was a threat of legal action. While the lack of a public meeting (as I requested) about the letter makes it impossible to know how each board member felt, at least 4 board members (aka a majority) at some point felt the letter was a threat.
Summary
There was a time when Trustee Bull, Bueltel, Litkouhi, and myself all saw Shaner’s letter as a legitimate threat of a lawsuit against the Board.
The facts show that the claims made in the Disclaiming Motion and the vote to pass it violate the board’s “norms.” The passing of this motion only further undermines our board’s credibility in the community’s eye. It is unclear what action President Bueltel, Vice President Anness, Treasurer Bull, and Secretary Gupta can take to repair the damage done by their efforts.
Bullying by adults, towards other adults, who are supposed to set the example for our children will no longer be tolerated!
Our district constantly shouts at the rooftops about RCS’s zero tolerance stance on bullying,… while the upper administration and Majority BOE continue their bully tactics and antics toward anyone who has a different view other than their own…. including parents, other tax paying constituents, teachers, and other employees of RCS.
The RCS Superintendent has caused great dissension in the greater Rochester community. Shaker’s past behavior created
personal havoc for a member of the Board &
enormous negative publicity for the community.
When making decisions, it is the responsibility of the Board to have consensus prior to making policy and obviously, it should be assumed that there needs to be lively debate. Board members derive their authority from the people who elected them – American citizen taxpayers!
Prior to World War ll, Hitler bargained to become Germany’s chief executive & bullied Corporal Von Hindenburg into creating an ‘Enabling Act’ that in essence allowed Hitler to do whatever he pleased! He refused office unless his conditions were met. Fundamentally, it established a system that was the abnegation of Constitutional rule!
Shaner reflects a type of sole ruler of tyranny!
I worked with the well known & well-regarded champion of education, the former Michigan State Superintendent of schools, Philip Runkel. He invited parents to become a member of his team that included administrators, teachers & the Union! Superintendent Shaner’s confrontational actions would have been anathema!
What I see & sense, is a display of Socialist element. A school system that strives to compel the community to accept curricula & policies as articulated by an education expert!
Our American Constitution was not set up to rule by authority’ Experts are not the final arbiter of wise policy; we have only to
observe the bureaucracy of government which has become increasingly autocratic!
This is antithetical to the principles of equal rights & freedom!
The biographical information of Mr.Shaner highlights his recognition as ‘Superintendent of the Year.’ However, good leadership qualities of an employee, CEO, or executive are rendered insufficient when there is a demonstrated lack of character!
Our community has suffered public disgrace for over a year by Mr.Shaner & it’s time to recognize the children of Rochester deserve better!
Remember that those who live under laws have a right to say about how the laws are made & about their content! Mr.Shaner is on record as informing a parent that there is a policy to not share course curriculum with parents! Who made such a policy( when & why?
The growing power of government has encapsulated the public schools of America Taxes from citizens provide the funds for the operation of these schools. Parents have a fundamental right to have a say in how their children are educated!