Rally Target Shows Up, Talks It Out

Dozens of New Haveners turned out Sunday to blast ​“blind leaders” for their handling of a public-school ​“n‑word” controversy — as one schools leader showed up to defend it and engage in dialogue.

The occasion was a rally on the steps of City Hall. The message: The Board of Education, the Mayor, and schools superintendent should have done more to address the repeated use of a racist epithet by a now-former principal as well as complaints of her former employees about the atmosphere at her school.

The rally was held a day before the next biweekly Board of Education meeting. The topic was requested to be revisited and put on Monday’s agenda but still hasn’t been added.

A coalition of advocacy groups organized the rally to ​“Uproot Racism from Our Schools.” The New Haven Public School Advocates has created a petition on behalf of the coalition demanding ​“a complete investigation on the district’s handling of events, documents, and decisions related to the investigation, transfer, and reassignment of the former Principal of Brennan-Rogers.” Groups supporting the petition include aapiNHV, Anti-Racism Coalition at Edgewood, Bethel A.M.E. Church, Black Lives Matter New Haven, Black and Brown United, New Haven LGBTQ Youth Task Force, New Haven Educators’ Collective, New Haven Pride Center, New Haven Climate Movement, Students for Educational Justice, and Elm City Montessori School ABAR Collective.

Two of the seven members of the Board of Education attended Sunday’s rally. One of them was Tamiko Jackson-McArthur, who has been in agreement with the protesters. She was one of the three school board members in the minority in a 4 – 3 vote on June 14 to uphold the decision by Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey to demote and reassign but not to fire former Brennan Rogers Principal Laura Roblee for using the slur. Jackson-MacArthur, like the protesters, called for more information to be relased and more investigation to take place into complaints about Roblee’s actions at the school.

The other board member to show up at the rally was Matt Wilcox — who had voted in favor of the superintendent’s recommendation. He engaged with the protesters, explaining his position and debating the merits, both during the rally and after, including frank discussion about how to move forward in the wake of the hurtful incident.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Tracey has informed board members in an email that she is recommending a new principal for Brennan Rogers: current King/Robinson Assistant Principal Kimberly Daniely. ​“Please note that the assistant principal of the school was given the opportunity to interview, but declined it,” Tracey wrote in the July 8 email.

“Racism Out”

Some in the crowd Sunday called for the removal of the superintendent.

“Racist slurs are not a slip of the tongue,” the crowd chanted between speakers. ​“Racism out, accountability in.” ​“Rules should be for everyone.”

At the end of the official speaker line-up, Wilcox was asked to the microphone explain why he voted in favor of the demotion despite lacking the investigatory report and details of the incident, which were withheld from the board and the public for months after the incident occurred.

Wilcox, who said he attended the rally to ​“listen and learn,” told the crowd Sunday that he cast his vote in favor of the demotion in support of the superintendent’s decision. He said he sees his role on the board to include supporting the superintendent.

Members of the crowd called for Wilcox to apologize for his vote and silence on the issue.

“I’m sitting at a table that is acknowledging racism and allowing it to happen,” said Jackson-McArthur.

New Haven teacher and New Haven Public School Advocates organizer Kristen Hopes-McFadden argued that all the members should have asked for more information before the vote.

“The Board of Ed is an entity that is the supervisor of the superintendent,” said Hopes-McFadden. “Dr. Tracey, we do have an agenda. You know what our agenda is: It’s to get racism out of this district by any means necessary.”

Organizers of the rally urged the community to attend Monday’s BOE meeting at 5:30 p.m. and to speak during the public comment section. (Here is the Zoom link. Password: BOE2021)

“I have seen children be expelled for far less,” said Hopes-McFadden. “Dr. Tracey said she didn’t want to drag this woman’s name through the mud. But what about all these Black and brown children, especially boys, whose names are dragged through the mud before they even have developed?”

Conversation Continues

After the rally, 10 of the protesters talked with Wilcox, whom most were meeting in-person for the first time.

At the start of the conversation Newhallville resident Rodney Williams told Wilcox that he should resign.

“Your loyalty lies with her [superintendent], not with us, and that’s what’s hurting us,” he said.

Wilcox responded that he is committed to ​“figuring out ways to make the system better.”

Diane Brown, who serves on the International Festival of Arts and Ideas Board of Directors, told Wilcox that he is not on the board to be a ​“yes man” but to represent and support the community.

“From today on, all of us will hold you accountable,” Mayce Torres, who has filed papers to run for mayor, said to Wilcox. Torres put on a visual demonstration at the front of City Hall just beside the rally to call attention to gun violence in the city. Several pairs of shoes, from kid to adult sizes, were laid out on the steps to ​“humanize our city’s violence,” Torres explained.

“What I ask of you on behalf of the community I live in, Dixwell/Newhallville, is hit the reset button,” Williams said to Wilcox.

“This is not your problem alone to solve, but you can lift our voices and hold them accountable,” said Black and Brown United organizer Catherine John.

Wilcox asked the small crowd how he can help in the future. Ideas ranged from pushing the board to add an investigation to its agenda and prioritizing effective policy rollout, to relaying the community’s pain to his fellow board members.

New Haven teacher Jonathan Q. Berryman argued that the board’s investment of time and money shows its priorities. ​“You can’t put a band-aid on a deep gushing wound,” he said. ​“It’s still gushing, and they’re still holding fast to this band-aid.”

The BOE adopted a formal policy on race and equity last fall.

Wilcox said he plans to push the board to prioritize the continued rollout of the New Haven Public Schools’ Policy for Race & Equity to keep similar incidents from happening in the future.

“Over the last month a consistent criticism I’ve heard is people need to hear me talk, and I’m taking that to heart,” said Wilcox.

The group thanked Wilcox for attending the rally.

“It takes people like you that are at least open minded and have willingness to at least come and figure out how to right a wrong,” said New Havener Germano Kimbro.

Wilcox said he plans at Monday’s meeting to ask how the board will provide support to those affected both directly and indirectly by the incident.

The conversation amongst the group and Wilcox ended with handshakes and hugs.

Watch the full line-up of speakers at the rally in the video below.

Tracey, Board Members Clash

Meanwhile, Tracey’s email announcing her pick for Roblee’s replacement led to a round of critical emails from Jackson-McArthur and fellow board member Darnell Goldson.

Following is the text of their emails:

Tracey’s First Email

Dear Board,

While on vacation, I still have to get some things done. Interviews were carried out for Bishop Woods and Brennan Rogers schools for principals. On the report there will be the following hires:

1. Ms. Kimberly Daniely, current AP of King/Robinson School, is being recommended to serve as principal of Brennan Rogers. Please note that the assistant principal of the school was given the opportunity to interview, but declined it.

2. Ms. Florence Crisi, an AP at Bishop Woods school since 2013, has been recommended as the principal of Bishop Woods school.

Later, I will present the assistant principals for these schools.

Please also note a slight change in the way the personnel report is set up. Action items are in front for board vote — such as hires etc., while another list will be information only — FLMA, classroom transfers etc.
The team is trying to get the personnel report out this evening due to the pending storm.

Enjoy the rest of the evening, and stay safe in the midst of the pending storm.

Regards,

Iline P. Tracey

Jackson-McArthur’s Response

There is really no shame.
No shame!

Would anybody on this email accept a position that you have been treated like an out cast? This is an entire mess.
This AP has been treated like she didn’t exist since she was thrown into leading the school. She has been maligned by the principal who claims to suddenly not recall what she said to her, in essence calling her a liar. Dr. Tracey nor any of this board’s leadership reached out to this district leader, the school, nor the community.
Not one word from the mayor, the chair, the vice chair or the secretary around what we are doing to assist that school. Are you guys afraid to do the right thing and speak up!
I will not be silent or silenced.
This is utterly ridiculous.

Dr Tracey has continued to treat this situation like it’s just going to disappear.

I hope my request for the investigation into the districts response to this situation is placed on the agenda.

Dr J

Tracey’s Response To Jackson McArthur’s Response

Dr. McArthur,

I do not come to you to tell you every move or everything I do regarding district happenings — this would be exhausting and for which you would not have time to listen. I deal with parents, administrators, students, community, and staff on a daily basis. You have made statements in this email that are not facts. But, certainly, you are entitled to your opinions.

I believe that I handle the daily business of the district in a mature, professional, and methodical manner, always ensuring that what is right is done and not what is based on opinions or emotions. What I have not done well is sharing steps taken in this situation, so it leaves things up for conjectures and false narratives. I only hope there is not a hidden agenda for keeping this going.

Please remember that the board is a policy making body. The board adopted a race and equity policy as a lens through which we deal with several situations. The board also agrees to a restorative approach. Please allow district personnel to do what we are hired to do. I could have swept this situation under the rug like many have done with varied situations, but I didn’t.

Best,

Iline P. Tracey

Goldson’s Response To Tracey’s Response To Jackson-McArthur’s Response

Dr. Tracey,

I am no longer surprised by the inappropriate comments you make to board members in response to legitimate questions or concerns raised. You once suggested to us that a contractor came to you and tried to convince you to alter a contract in secret. You never reported that to the appropriate authorities or the board. Ed Joyner recently changed the narrative to claim that it was actually a board member who did so, again without providing more detail or reporting it to the proper authorities. Now you write an email to a board member regarding the Laurie Roblee situation where you state that you could ​“have swept it under the rug.” I would suggest that you did on this situation as well as others (the others I will deal with in another venue soon). You brought this situation to the board for a vote without providing the investigative report, and suggested a different narrative which actually occurred. You suggested that it occurred during a diversity training. We later learned that it did not. You suggested that it occurred in a private discussion, we later learned that it was not a private discussion, but instead was in a public school building during the work day on two separate occasions with subordinates. You claimed that it was a ​“slip of the tongue.” Again, this was false, the word was uttered more than four times on two separate days, once during a shouting match with the Assistant Principal. You first refused to release the report, and then under pressure released a partial report. You did not address the concerns of the school staff, after a majority wrote a public letter outlining the ongoing issues of concerns with this person’s leadership and poor treatment of staff, students and parents. You have now not even considered the AP for the job. Very good sources have told some of us that there has been a smear campaign launched against the AP, suggesting that she instigated the staff to revolt against Roblee. Both you and a board member have made these comments, including to a reporter (I am more than willing to name the board member, but not in this email). The way you have handled and continue the Roblee issue, and others have clearly been ​“swept under the rug”. These are all FACTS, not opinions.

There have been public officials who have been fired for less than what Roblee did. Yet, neither have Dr. Jackson, Mr. Conaway nor I have asked for the termination of this employee. We have asked for all the facts related to her leadership of that school in order to make an INFORMED decision, which you have denied to us and the public.

To suggest that there may be an ​“hidden agenda” behind our quest for the facts and the truth is highly inappropriate from a leader in your position to her bosses, especially without any evidence to back such a suggestion. Of course you will claim that you didn’t suggest that , but instead stated that you hoped that it wasn’t true. Everyone understood your meaning, playing these sorts of word games is incredibly unseemly. 

You have made this an adversarial relationship when it should not be so. You are the leader of this district and are responsible for fixing it. You take every question or inquiry as a personal affront to you. That is not leadership.

You owe all of us who are interested in protecting those staff, parents and students in this district an apology as well as a change in tact. The feelings we have about the embarrassing spectacle of you reading the apology letter for Roblee while not acknowledging the pain of the Brennan-Rogers community is beyond description.

Darnell Goldson