Columbus school board member censured after task force document leak
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus City School Board member accused of writing how the district should handle messaging regarding the task force considering which district schools should be closed or consolidated has been censured by the board and will be the subject of legal action.
He also listed other board members who he alleges knew about and took part in the drafting of the document.
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Brandon Simmons, who was elected to the board in November, arrived late to a special board meeting Wednesday called “to consider the investigation of charges or complaints against a public official.” It is also the same night a virtual community forum for the task force was held.
Simmons allegedly wrote a six-page memo that details how the district should control the public messaging of the district’s Community Facilities Task Force, including driving a wedge between the teachers’ union and other district employees, moving meetings with teachers at the last minute, and stacking meetings with administrative staff supportive of the task force’s work. The full document can be read below.
Board members accused Simmons of being the sole author of the document, while Simmons said the document was a “collaborative document” that was drafted over several meetings.
After more than four hours of an executive session, the board voted to pursue legal action against Simmons to produce public records, saying Simmons has not complied with public records requests pertaining to the memo.
The board also voted to censure Simmons and strip him of his committee assignments for the rest of 2024, which Simmons voted in favor of, acknowledging his participation and wrongdoing in the preparation of the memo. He said that while he would acknowledge his participation in the memo, others at the table wouldn’t do the same.
“Tonight. I voted yes on a censure of my actions over the last 2 weeks,” Simmons wrote in the second of two statements he sent Wednesday. “The truth is I allowed frustration to cloud my judgment. Through this frustration I became desperate. Desperate to deliver for our students. This desperation led me to act in a manner that was not consistent with my values. The censure is an appropriate action I consented to.”
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During the public portion of the meeting, board vice-president Dr. Tina D. Pierce and members Ramona R. Reyes, Michael Cole, and Sarah Ingles all denied prior knowledge of or participation in the drafting of the document.
In the first of his two emailed statements, Simmons listed Pierce, board president Christina Vera, superintendent Dr. Angela Chapman, and board member Jennifer Adair all attended meetings where the document was discussed.
“I am deeply sorry that this document was written and that I acted in a way that was not in line with my values,” Simmons wrote in the email statement. “In addition, I am very sorry that my colleagues and I chose to implement elements of this plan. The unfortunate reality is multiple board members including the Board President, Board Vice President agreed to elements of this plan and were actively implementing portions of this plan.”
Simmons added that he will be obtaining “my own legal counsel” and will start filing public records requests.
In a social media post, board member Sarah Ingles said she leaked the document, saying she was not part of any meeting where the memo was shared nor was she a part of writing it.
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Simmons issued an apology to the teachers’ union and community last week, two days after the document was leaked. In an open letter, he said he understands the gravity of the memo, and that he “deeply regrets not standing by his values.” He also maintained that the document was a collaboration and that he was not the sole author of it.
In the Wednesday statement, Simmons again apologized, saying he was “deeply sorry and ashamed.”
Some local education leaders aren’t buying Simmons’ explanation.
“Brandon Simmons needs to come off the board and the board needs to take this time to reset and build trust with the community,” Columbus Education Justice Coalition Lead Organizer Izetta Thomas said. “There has been an incredible break of trust, a trust that seemingly was beginning to be restored.”
The task force, which began its work in February, is weighing which of the district’s 117 schools will close, be consolidated with others, or be left as is.
This is not the first controversy to hit the task force. Last month, the president of the district’s teachers’ union, the Columbus Education Association, John Coneglio, resigned from the task force, stating the direction it was taking did not align with the union’s goals.
The first of Simmons’ two statements can be read below.
Simmons-Statement-5_29_2024-2Download
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