Vice president Jocelyn Rhynard said at the Sept. 20 board meeting she was severely disappointed in the vote and planned to reintroduce a similar policy in the future.
In August, board members separated out four related policies to vote on, including the nondiscrimination/harassment policy, board member ethics, a policy for sexual harassment complaint procedures, and revenues from investments policy.
Rhynard, board member Joe Lacey and board member Gabriella Pickett, the chair of the policies committee, voted yes on all four, while board members Dion Sampson and Karen Wick-Gagnet abstained from each vote. Sampson and Wick-Gagnet didn’t respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment. Typically, members of the board would abstain if there was an ethical issue, which is unclear in this case.
Three of the four proposed rules failed due to the number of abstention votes, with the revenues from investments policy the only one that passed.
“In March, I myself experienced an event that was witnessed and documented that highlighted the need for this policy, the need for this protection, and the need for channels for reporting events such as these,” Rhynard said. “But we have no policy.”
Rhynard said the introduced policy is similar to what other districts have for their school boards.
In a statement to the Dayton Daily News, Rhynard said, “No person should EVER have to find themselves navigating sexual harassment and unwanted advances while working to protect and educate children in this community.”
But she said since bringing up the idea for the policy she has faced punitive behavior from her colleagues.
“For months, I’ve endured retaliation, repeated instances of unprofessional behavior, intimidation, bullying and a hostile work environment,” Rhynard said. “My ability to serve on this board has been impeded and infringed and it has been implied directly and indirectly that I have an agenda.”
Gabriella Pickett, the chair of the policy committee, who introduced the policy, said the policy would only have affected board members in the future and not dealt with past behavior.
At least one member of the board who abstained from the vote in August said there were issues at play here that may not be obvious to the public.
“This is not to deny the truth of anyone’s experience, but it is disturbing and telling that there has been no acknowledgement of the racialized play that is occurring here in some of these dynamics,” said board member Karen Wick-Gagnet during the Sept. 20 meeting, immediately after Rhynard’s comments.
Wick-Gagnet said she wanted to work toward healing but not toward a political agenda or punitive actions.
“I do believe the assertions made this evening are punitive and personal and I feel deeply about this situation,” she said.
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