Dr. Morelock has worked tirelessly on behalf of our students and staff. 971-385-2880, Tabitha Renne (If you do NOT receive a confirmation receipt for your public comment request, please reach out to Tabitha directly at 503.554.5041). About 100 people turned out to protest the Newberg school board's decision to ban Pride and Black Lives Matter symbols. Morelock has been the superintendent of Newberg School District since July 2018. About 100 protesters gathered in downtown Newberg on Tuesday, weeks after a new conservative school board majority voted to ban staff and faculty from displaying Pride and Black Lives Matter banners in their buildings. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Shotts, a special education teacher in a Newberg elementary school, filed the lawsuit with the aid of the American Civil Liberties Union and a Portland law firm in late 2021, challenging the boards policy restricting political, quasi-political or controversial displays, including Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ flags. Support the news and programs youll rely on in 2023 and beyond! You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Unfortunately a few school board members are forcing through these inappropriate, and possibly illegal, changes, which will have long-lasting consequences and threaten student safety. 971-409-5792, Dave Brown "The fact that a person cannot run for school board in Newberg without having his or her life ripped apart is an absolute tragedy for our community and we ask every candidate in the race for school board to condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms." Emails to Brown seeking comment on Wolfer's withdrawal went unanswered by press time. Appointed in 2022 - Term expires 6/30/23 We cannot let this group of 4 impose their own political agenda, erode our rights, and strip our support of our students. She tried to get gas. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Morelock, who was silent up to that point during the discussion of the resolution, answered. A sign depicting a rainbow flag with a heart superimposed, along with the words Be Known, in Shotts classroom window at Dundee Elementary was the subject of the first complaint under the policy. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. So everything will work out eventually.. 503-554-5041 Boothby says she organized the protest because when she attended Newberg High School she didnt always feel welcome as a gay student. Under new business, we are discussing the superintendent, said board chair Dave Brown. NEWBERG, Ore. When the Newberg School District Board of Directors voted 4-3 to fire former Superintendent Joe Morelock without cause on Nov. 9, multiple dissenting board members. The Newberg School District and four of its board members face a lawsuit over a policy banning political and quasi-political symbols. The three board members who did not vote for the policy banning controversial or political symbols resigned over the course of the last year, alleging harassment. Brian Shannon, the Newberg School Boards vice chairman, introduced the measure over the summer. On behalf of Dr. Morelock and the work he has begun, we will continue to fight for safe, stable learning environments for our students. Office hours: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Monday-Friday Building doors are locked at this time, please ring doorbell for entrance. "Newberg Public Schools Contact Information", "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Yamhill County, OR", "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Clackamas County, OR", "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Washington County, OR", "Count of homeless students in Oregon school districts, 2008-2009", "The Newberg school board issue: How did we get here? Think about the lives it will really affect. Their place is to teach the approved curriculum, and thats all this policy does, is ensure thats happening in our schools.. Why did you organize it? An Oregon school district voted Tuesday to ban Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ and other "political" signs, flags and articles of clothing from their campuses. Opponents of the ban, who have said the language specifically targeting groups of people was illegal, say the policy has helped embolden racists. ", "Policies such as ESB are in place to ensure students feel welcome and safe while learning," he said. Piros asked her colleagues to take more time before going forward with the major, unannounced decision. Forms will also be available at the regular session board meetings. Why are prominent Los Angeles Latinos saying such racist things. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The board is also expected to discuss challenging the state's mask mandate at their next meeting. Whether heading on a camping trip, putting up guests or creating more sleeping space for a kids slumber party, air mattresses are useful to have. This is my senior year, and this ban would change everything, how I feel about being there. Those in favor did not explain their decision. I tell people you can pretend to care but you cant pretend to show up. Newberg School Board voted 4 to 3 on November 9 to remove Dr. Joe Morelock as superintendent without cause. Brown, Shannon, Powell and DeHart, the school board members who voted for the policy, were named in a lawsuit on Nov. 3 levied against the Newberg School District and the four board members by the Newberg Education Association. Renee Powell, one of the conservative members on the school board, said that the policy would improve the lives of students. OPBs critical reporting and inspiring programs are made possible by the power of member support. All meetings are open to the public, except for executive sessions as authorized by law. After voicing strong objection to the move, the board's other three members, Rebecca Piros, Brandy Penner and Ines Pea, voted against. It's a huge hit to our school district," she said. Pride flags can literally save someones life, and youre just going to take that away?, Proud Boys supporter pleads guilty to threatening Sen. Rafael Warnock: Dead men cant pass laws, N.C. hospital system fires about 175 workers in one of the largest-ever mass terminations due to a vaccine mandate, Essential reporting from around the world, Oregon school board bans Pride and Black Lives Matter symbols in the classroom, Ukraine live briefing: Kyiv targeted by missiles; explosions in Russia derail train, damage power line, Philippine presidents White House visit reflects sharp upturn in ties, Eyeing China, Biden official floats a new Washington consensus, The deadly world of white-supremacist prison gangs. This was the argument voiced by those who arrived on Oct. 1 not associated with Newberg Rejects White Supremacy Rally. So why would they do that? BREAKING: This morning, the Yamhill County Circuit Court concluded that Newberg School District's anti-display policy violates Article I, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution. 714 East 6th St Newberg school board votes to fire superintendent, no cause given. [7] This ban ended in 2023. As an elected official you want to listen to understand their perspective and put yourself in the shoes of a gay person or trans person. Board Vice-Chair, Director Zone 7 Citizens are encouraged to express their ideas, concerns and judgments through communication with District staff and Board members. We are just destroying one another, Powell said. Every student belongs in school, every student deserves to learn in a welcoming, and safe environment.". They gathered at 4:15pm on Sept. 29 at the Newberg city centers flagpole where, fittingly, the citys major highway splits. A White man was scared to death of Ralph Yarl. Board members serve four-year terms without pay. Other groups including the Newberg Education Association, Oregon Education Association, and Basic Rights Oregon, as well as the BIPOC Caucus of the State Legislature have expressed concern and disapproval with this problematic ban. NEWBERG Two members of the Newberg School Board announced their resignations at a meeting earlier this week, citing controversial board decisions in the past year. All rights reserved (About Us). written and/or digital) that contains information relating to the conduct of the school districts business could be subject to a public records request without prior notice to sender. The board voted to table that item during Tuesday's meeting. [9], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}451735.56N 1225840.39W / 45.2932111N 122.9778861W / 45.2932111; -122.9778861 (Newberg School District office). Why would you remove something that wasnt harmful but is going to cause harm?, Roland Herrera, a Keizer City Council member, says he attended the Newberg protest against the political ban in the school district to support his neighbors. U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat whose district includes Newberg, weighed in with an emailed statement from the U.N. I went to NHS and graduated in 2015 and I knew I was gay but didnt have the support to say anything then. [2] Portions are in Clackamas County and Washington County. Penner and Piros spoke out against the resolution and the board's four members who were in support of it. The school boards symbols policy also drew sharp comments from the Oregon State Board of Education, Oregon House Democrats, and the Oregon School Boards Association. School Board Meetings Dont wait. We can continue to create safe spaces in our schools and offer support to students who identity as LGBTQIA+ and students of color without fear of retaliation.. Phone: (503) 554-5000, Fax: (503) 538-4374. The lawsuit named the school district as well as Brown, Shannon, Powell and DeHart as defendants. In September 2022 Yamhill County Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Easterday struck down the Newberg school boards 2021 ban on political signs, declaring it a violation of the state constitutions guarantees of free speech. The conservative majority on the school board in Newberg voted 4 to 3 to adopt a policy that has attracted national attention, criticism and protests in the weeks since it was introduced. The firing is effective Nov. 19 and according to board member Brandy Penner, the district will continue to pay Morelock his salary and benefits for the next 12 months, in addition to paying the salary and benefits for the district's next superintendent. The Newberg School Board's choice to ban BLM and Pride flags came following a shift in the Board's composition. We are supposed to be here for all children and to make all children feel safe and welcome, and by lifting one group or several groups over another, thats not welcoming and safe.. I continue to stand with parents, students of color, LGBTQ students, and all members of the community who have courageously continued to speak out against the school boards unacceptable actions.. A staff member at Mabel Rush Elementary School, identified as Lauren Pefferle, showed up to work this month dressed as Rosa Parks with her face darkened with dye to protest a vaccination mandate for all public school employees in Oregon. The settlement, according to a release from the Newberg Education Association, accomplished three things, primarily that the school board will not appeal the lower courts ruling that the ban be lifted; that the board will either add language to GBG recognizing the lower courts ruling or rescind the amendment entirely, which the board did at its Jan. 10 meeting; and that the board reimburse the union for a significant portion of the legal fees incurred from fighting this illegal amendment, the release said. Easterday granted a summary judgment in the case of teacher Chelsea Shotts vs. the district and the four conservative members of the board. But the board voted, again 4 to 3, to keep paying the attorney. Shannon told the Oregonian that Pride flags and banners were to be included in the ban due to conversations he said he has had with a few Newberg families who dont agree with the gender ideology that flag represents.. Controversy in Newberg persists after the recent Newberg School Board decision to ban both Black Lives Matter (BLM) flags, and Pride flags. Defendants and their agents acted under color or authority of state law, the lawsuit continued. Why dont they? The split between the boards majority and minority was clear, with members in the majority remaining quiet, and minority members repeatedly objecting to the speed of the conversation and pointing out the cost, financial and otherwise, of losing Morelock. Board of Directors Board . Since the board meeting, elected officials around Oregon have responded to the firing with anger and concern for the districts future. I feel like this has been on your agenda since Day 1, since the two new board members were voted on. Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. Because they're cowards and they know they're going to get sued. The four conservative members of the board voted, 4-3, to fire Superintendent Joe Morelock at the end of Tuesday night's school board meeting. On Thursday, Yamhill County Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Easterday ruled that the policy is unconstitutional under Article 1, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of speech and the press. "Dr. Morelock, we know you and we trust you and this pains us terribly," she said. In Newberg, four of the seven board members voted to fire Morelock, who was under contract through June 2024. The school board initially voted on Aug. 10 to ban those specific symbols in the classroom. Support the news and programs youll rely on in 2023 and beyond! The Board hires the superintendent, who is responsible to carry out Board policies, provide educational leadership and manage the District's budget and staff. "He made sure he was in schools every week with kids interacting," she said. This is a tough one, Im not going to lie.. Pamplin Media Group is a KOIN 6 News media partner. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The initial board conversations about the policy centered around banning Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ Pride flags. The appointee serves until June of the next election year, which in this case is 2023. "I protest that none of you had anything to say about why you wanted to do this, that the public is ," Piros said before she was interrupted by Brown. case filed last year by a Newberg teacher, initial board conversations about the policy, celebrated the ruling in a tweet Thursday, the school board voted to fire Supt. In Newberg, four of the seven board members voted to fire Morelock, who was under contract through June 2024. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Board member. The NEA said the boards decision to ban political symbols was unwarranted and ill-conceived, hence the settlement. The board decided to table the decision to uphold or reject the districts response to the complaint, voting along the same 4-3 line as with most other decisions they made Tuesday. ", "Oregon school board drops ban on LGBTQ pride, Black Lives Matter and other symbols", "Oregon school worker suspended for showing up in blackface in apparent protest of vaccine mandate", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Newberg_School_District&oldid=1134844881, This page was last edited on 21 January 2023, at 00:40. 408-472-4257, RonRilee For Black boys, this isnt A Black man was dismembered. Find Your . The board discussion and vote to remove Morelock was tense. Elected in May 2021 - Term expires 6/30/25 Superintendents for Greater Albany Public Schools, Adrian School District School, and Woodburn have all been removed this year, for varying reasons. The superintendents cabinet of administrators issued a statement after the sudden vote saying it was shocked and dismayed. The group cited what they considered positive examples of Morelocks leadership, including his work turning the districts finances around, creating a safety net of over $9 million. That means the board cant enforce the policy against Shotts or, for that matter, anyone else. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). IE 11 is not supported. In a statement sent after the meeting, the Superintendent Cabinet of Newberg Public Schools said it is "shocked and dismayed that the Board would take this disruptive action in the middle of the school year.". We will be losing a leader who has pulled us out of financial ruin, who has rebuilt community, who has rebuilt relationships, she said. (KATU) NEWBERG, Ore. Voters in the Newberg Schools community are turning out in big numbers for the hotly debated recall of two school board members. The amended policy remains as a ban on all political or quasi-political signs displayed by teachers. By banning these symbols theyre saying were not accepted here.Jozie Donaghey, I came out tonight because I didnt agree with the school boards decision and didnt think they listened to enough student voices, so Im here exercising my right to protest for representation we deserve., You know, they mentioned a lot that putting these flags in classrooms would make people uncomfortable, but I think they should look at the other side of that tooby banning the flags, theyre saying were not accepted here. The case, filed by the ACLU of Oregon on behalf of Newberg school employee Chelsea Shotts in December 2021, challenges a policy approved by the school board last year. One of the board members, Renee Powell, said in an email to OPB that she was not aware of hearing and had nothing to report at this time. No one else from the board had gotten back to OPB by the time of publication. The disputes in the Newberg School Board have come as schools nationwide have become rife with arguments over vaccine and mask mandates, how racism is addressed in teaching, instruction related to sexuality and gender-neutral bathrooms. At least one student at Newberg High School has been linked to a Snapchat group called Slave Trade, the Graphic reported, where teenagers nationwide share racist, homophobic and violent messages. Trevor DeHart This sentiment has been expressed by students who have recently given public comment in School Board meetings, one even stating that the Pride flag could mean life or death for some, given an estimate that at least one transgender minor attempts suicide every 45 seconds. And those are my kids. If youre shopping for a new purse, check out these luxurious bags that look quite high-end, but cost less than $100. Navigating a global pandemic with immense challenges, Dr. Morelocks leadership has been demonstrated in the low turnover of building and district leadership, and the hiring of excellent new teachers and staff who more closely reflect our student body. 503-476-2636, Shelley Kolb 503-501-6035, Renee Powell The disputes in the Newberg School Board have come as schools nationwide have become rife with arguments over vaccine and mask mandates, how racism is addressed in teaching, instruction. Two board members resigned from the board this week citing this and other recent moves by the board.Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian. Elected in 2019 - Term expires 6/30/23 If you looked at the agenda for Tuesdays Newberg school board meeting, youd have no idea the board was planning to fire Superintendent Joe Morelock. Penner then asked Brown to adjourn the meeting, despite there being more items on the agenda, saying, "I don't think anything constructive will happen with this board again.". Board member Brandy Penner countered that the top five performing schools in the state had diversity coordinators and diversity statements, while the districts that were struggling educationally have a "lack of anything to do with equity. Those in favor did not explain their decision. We asked a few of the attendees why they turned out. Newberg school board officially approves policy banning political symbols, Newberg teachers sue district, school board members over political image ban in schools, Newberg school employee goes to work in blackface, is put on leave. He referred to a packet given to board members in executive session, but not shared publicly, that had to do with Morelock. The employee was terminated from her position. The Newberg School Board voted to terminate the contract of Superintendent Joe Morelock late Tuesday night, in a process that board director Brandy Penner, who voted against the firing,. rennet@newberg.k12.or.us. Ashley Pea, a Newberg student, said she came to the protest because the school board didn't listen to enough students before making their decision on Aug. 10. "These symbols arent hurting anyone and I dont see why banning them is necessary," said Pea. You know exactly why," she said. The community blowback led the Newberg School Board to alter the language of the ban on Sept. 1, removing the specific mentions of Pride and BLM. It protects marginalized populations in our student and staff bodies. Newberg, Oregon 97132. To me its sad that were still doing this, because Ive been out here doing this since the 60s and we have to keep being on top of it., I would tell them to listen to the folks. Under the Public Records laws any record (e.g. In May, the board named as its next superintendent, Stephen Phillips, who was put on leave amid an investigation in his most recent Oregon superintendent role and who resigned from another superintendent position after retweeting an offensive remark about people who enter the country illegally. Newberg School Board Public Comment Sheet- Intent to Speak, May 2nd, 2023 @ 6:00 pm - Budget Committee Mtg. Morelocks employment ends in 10 days, and the next school board meeting is scheduled for Nov. 23. Four members of the school board voted to fire Supt. Pefferle was fired over the blackface incident, according to the Newberg Graphic. Newberg School District board member Rebecca Piros said she can no longer work with people who she feels do not have the best interests of every student and every staff member at heart, KGW-TV reported . Elisha Fieldstadt is a breaking news reporter for NBC News. On that agenda: consulting with lawyers and discussing employee dismissals or disciplinary matters. But Brown added two new items, including one about Morelock. DISCLAIMER for All Communications with District Staff and Board Members: The Board believes that community participation in school affairs is essential if the school district and the community are to maintain mutual confidence and respect and work together to improve the quality of education for students. I wanna ask why? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. PORTLAND, Ore. ( Portland Tribune) Newberg has been in the news a lot lately. On Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, who is the Chair of the Education and Labor Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services, released the following statement about the firing of Morelock: The action of the Newberg School Board in firing Superintendent Joe Morelock is wrong for students, wrong for educators, and wrong for the Newberg community. The Newberg School District has faced a school year full of controversy after the board's conservative majority took action last year to ban employees from displaying "political" or. Studies, statistics, research and experts can prove 100 times over that removing those items is harmful and thats what were looking at: trying to be supportive of kids. Contacting a School Board Member On the day before Thanksgiving, as Newberg school district staff scrambled to fulfill other duties after the firing of superintendent Joe Morelock, Newberg School Board chair Dave Brown. The 4-3 decision drew widespread scrutiny regionally and across the U.S. as national news outlets reported on some of the blowback, namely the construction of a large Pride flag within sight of the citys high school. The ban was passed in early August, and garnered a great deal of opposition from other board members, community members, and the state at-large. At a demonstration Sunday, BLM supporters protesting the school boards policy clashed with some members of the Proud Boys, a far-right group that has endorsed violence, according to the Portland Tribune.

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