LETTERS: CAPE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER RESPONDS

To the editor:

I feel that after the personal attack on myself by fellow school board member Kathy Swan, I need to make a response.

I have been accused of having a lack of professionalism by my so-called "blatant action" of releasing the information about the extension of Dr. Neyland Clark's contract. It was suggested that my action was in total disagreement with Board member ethics. I respectfully disagree with these two accusations. I released the information because I felt that it should have been released in a timely manner. I did not support the extension of Dr. Clark's contract lasts year, but I did accept the majority decision of the Board. I have worked well with Dr. Clark this past year and have called upon his educational expertise and asked for his advice in particular situations.

Mrs. Swan also seems to think that a Board member should only express disagreement at a Board meeting. If this were the case with this most recent meeting, nobody would have heard my disagreement as the meeting was in closed session. I felt that I had to express my opinion because the majority of the board refused to bring up the matter of Dr. Clark's contract in an open meeting.

I have also been accused of violating the Missouri statute relating to discussion of matters at a closed meeting. The only information which I discussed was the fact that a vote was taken and the results of that vote. In fact the law requires that such information be released. The Board's official statement offered by Ed Thompson was in direct violation of that statute. We did not "...agree that it is in the best interest of the district to extend Dr. Clark's contract for one year." What we did was vote; and, by request, it was a roll-call vote. That information was not released in the official statement. If I had not released the information on Sunday, the public would have received the official statement on Monday. Would the public have received the correct information? Was the Board honest and correct in revealing this information in the official news release?

Another item discussed by Mrs. Swan related to having a spouse employed by the district as a teacher and connecting that to my "no" votes on extensions of Dr. Clark's contract. The whole idea is absolutely ludicrous. My votes on Dr. Clark's contract had nothing to do with my wife being a teacher. I have always made a special effort to avoid any conflict of interest. I have abstained from voting on contracts for tenured teachers and I have not participated in any discussions relating to salary negotiations, etc. I will say that having a spouse as a teacher does offer some advantages. It gives me an accurate and more positive view of activities at the high school and helps me to keep in better contact with the teachers at the high school.

Part of the Code of Ethics for School Board members also deals with personal attacks on other Board members. I have never publicly criticized one of my fellow Board members. I may be critical of a decision of the Board if I did not agree with it, as is my Constitutional right. But, even when I have disagreed with a decision, I have always honored it. I have disagreed with other Board members at meetings, but when that meeting is over, I have always put that behind me and progressed forward.

I have never displayed a lack of professionalism as a School Board member. I plan to continue representing the public of Cape Girardeau as best as I can. I only hope we can put all of this controversy behind us and do what's best for the children of the Cape Girardeau Public Schools.

Dr. Robert G. Fox

Cape Girardeau