Perry County School Board censures member for remark to colleague

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A divided Perry County School Board voted Tuesday night to censure a board member for inappropriate conduct.

During a special meeting at the career center, the board voted 4-3 to censure Mark Gremaud for derogatory comments the board said he directed at a fellow board member Kathy Carron.

During a recent closed executive meeting, Gremaud is alleged to have addressed Carron, saying "Kathy, you are just a woman. The only thing you know is laying on your back with your legs in the air splayed."

Gremaud denied that was the exact comment made and denied addressing Carron by name.

Board president Nancy Voelker read the statement after much discussion about whether it could be read during an open meeting, because the remarks were made during closed session. Board member Jeff Weibrecht asked to see legal documentation that the board would not face any consequences for revealing what took place during closed session.

Voelker, who took the time to call the board's attorney during Tuesday's meeting in an attempt to reassure Weibrecht, drew the distinction the matter involving Gremaud was a personal, rather than personnel or school, issue.

Perryville High School.

"I was advised by our attorney that this was the way this issue had to be handled," Voelker said, asking whether Weibrecht was more comfortable with the situation.

"I think it's safe to say I'm not comfortable with any of this," Weibrecht said.

Gremaud was not allowed to speak during Tuesday's meeting. He requested to do so once, and asked to speak with his attorney.

Weibrecht and Kevin Bachmann took up for Gremaud, explaining in front of the large crowd gathered the remark was made during "heated debate" in closed session and that Gremaud already had apologized and tried to explain it wasn't meant to be sexual in nature.

Weibrecht appealed to the board to put "petty differences" aside and "when one of us need to be held accountable, we held each other accountable inside that board room instead of throwing it out for the public to sit there and tear our community apart like what we're talking about right now in front of the media." His remarks drew applause from the crowd.

Carron said she did not find the remark to be petty at all and called it a "blatant attack" against women in general, which she said she found concerning, given the number of women employed by the district. Her comment also drew applause.

The board voted 4-3 twice by roll call, first to censure Gremaud, then to request his resignation. The board does not have the power to force a member out of office.

kwebster@semissourian.com

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