Does Annette Johnson have an appropriate demeanor to lead a public school district?

Facts:

•  Annette Johnson berated employees during a recorded meeting. Johnson defended it as a moment of extreme frustration. But a pattern exists.
• In 2012, Johnson verbally sparred with another board member, insulting his family and people who live in low-income housing.
• In March 2014, a police report filed by the then-superintendent indicates that Johnson threatened to shoot people.

Information:

As we indicated in our first post, “controversial” is word that is often associated with Annette Johnson. It is a word that she has embraced, saying that controversy comes with the territory.

However, at what point does Johnson’s behavior cross the line?

In April, board member John Laesch posted a two-minute, 30-second clip of Johnson berated an unidentified employee. In a Beacon-News article, Laesch called on Johnson to resign, and claimed that the recording was part of larger pattern of inappropriate and unprofessional behavior.

The recording can be heard here:

Johnson admitted it was her on the recording. Johnson subsequently apologized at a May 2 Board meeting “if she was harsh”. She later said in a Board meeting that the recording was a “moment of great frustration”. 

Despite this being described repeatedly as a “moment of frustration”, this is far from Johnson’s first frustration. In 2012, she and then-board member Ray Hull participated in a nasty argument during a public meeting.

Hull - who is no longer on the board - insulted Johnson, and she responded in kind.

Board policies have few specifics to say about how board members should conduct themselves in demeanor or conversational tone.

Policy 2:230 asks speakers at board meetings to “Conduct oneself with respect and civility toward others”.

However, board policy 8:30 outlines conduct expectations for visitors to District events. The policy specifically defines a school property as “district and school buildings, grounds, and parking areas; vehicles used for school purposes; and any location used for a School Board meeting…”

The same policy defines a visitor as “Any person other than an enrolled student or district employee.”

By this definition, a board member at a board meeting or in the district office would qualify as a visitor and be subject to the policies in 8:30.

Among the requirements:

• The School District expects mutual respect, civility, and orderly conduct among all people on school property or at a school event.
•  Behave in an unsportsmanlike manner, or use vulgar or obscene language;

Similarly, the District Handbook – which sets expectations for students - says discipline shall be imposed for:

• Any behavior which disrupts the appropriate conduct of a school program or activity; or
• Hazing, bullying, or harassment of any kind

Students are specifically prohibited from:

• Engaging in bullying, hazing or any kind of aggressive behavior that does physical or psychological harm to a staff person or another student or encouraging other students to engage in such behavior. Prohibited conduct specifically includes, without limitation, any use of violence, intimidation, force, noise, coercion, threats, stalking, harassment, sexual harassment, public humiliation, theft or destruction of property, retaliation, hazing, bullying, using a school computer, or a school computer network or other comparable conduct. 

If students are held to this standard - and can expect to receive consequences - then it is reasonable to expect adults would be held to the same standard.

Sadly, these two above instances are not the only examples. In 2014, superintendent Jerome Roberts called Aurora police to report that he had been threatened by Johnson.

The following  report was obtained through a Freedom of Information request. The police blacked out parts of the report.

A copy of the report, without the blacked out portions, was also mailed to voters in the East Aurora district. A copy is published below:

It is left to voters to decide if these are isolated incidents from a passionate board member or a pattern of behavior that does not meet a policy requiring “mutual respect, civility, and orderly conduct.”

We urge you to weigh these facts carefully and then vote against Annette Johnson in the April 4 election. 

We have reached out to Mrs. Johnson but have not received a response.

Have an idea, suggestion, or a tip? Email us at voteoutaj@gmail.com