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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Tight district race leads to eruption in board room
Posted by:
Loudoun County Politics
()
Date: September 29, 2011 06:23AM
Tight district race leads to eruption in board room
Wednesday, Sep. 28 by Andrew Sharbel
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/tight_district_race_leads_to_eruption_in_board_room999/
The heated race to November between two current opponents and school board members spilled out onto the dais at Tuesday’s School Board Meeting.
Tom Reed (At-Large) and Bob Ohneiser (Broad Run) exploded at each other during the Board Member comments period with allegations from an email between Ohneiser and the late J. Warren Geurin in 2006.
Reed and Ohneiser are in a tight race for the At Large seat on the School Board.
The email discussed was a letter from Ohneiser to Geurin regarding the heated boundary discussions in 2006 and 2007 for the Sycolin Creek Elementary School boundaries.
On Tuesday, the heated debate began during the board member comments section of the session, when Reed distributed the email to the rest of the dais and assembled media.
Just before reading the email, Reed was cut off by Chairman John Stevens (Potomac) because he had gone over his alotted five minutes.
At the same time, Ohneiser spoke up with a point of order.
With his time up, Reed requested his time be extended an extra two minutes, while Ohneiser again called for a point of order.
When given the chance to speak Ohneiser outlined his displeasure.
“The current discussion violates our code of conduct §2-3(B)(3) and §2-3(B)(7) and violates Virginia code as well,” Ohneiser said. “As a conflict of interest it’s uniquely political and its sad that this is going on.”
School Board Members Code of Conduct §2-3(B)(3) states “to show respect for and work with my fellow board members and staff in a spirit of harmony and cooperation in spite of differences of opinion that arise during vigorous debate of points at issue” and §2-3(B)(7) states “to resist every temptation and outside pressure to use my position as a school board member to benefit either myself or any other individual or agency apart from the total interest of the school district.”
With the discussion quickly heating up, Stevens was forced to mediate and noted if it continued a short break would be taken.
“Gentleman if we do this we are going to take a break,” Stevens said.
“This is unacceptable,” Ohneiser said. “This is an ambush by…”
Stevens cut him off and immediately announced a five-minute break.
The argument continued for a short period with the microphones off.
Following the break, Stevens said that it is important to remember that cooler heads need to prevail.
“Its okay to talk about controversial things, but we need to do it in a respectful manner, with a lower voice and without finger pointing,” Stevens said. “I just ask that all members realize the reason we are here is to do the public’s business not our own.”
The discussion comes just before the School Board is to begin the process of re-establishing school boundaries in Leesburg with the opening of Frederick Douglass Elementary School next school year.
Wednesday, Sep. 28 by Andrew Sharbel
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/tight_district_race_leads_to_eruption_in_board_room999/
The heated race to November between two current opponents and school board members spilled out onto the dais at Tuesday’s School Board Meeting.
Tom Reed (At-Large) and Bob Ohneiser (Broad Run) exploded at each other during the Board Member comments period with allegations from an email between Ohneiser and the late J. Warren Geurin in 2006.
Reed and Ohneiser are in a tight race for the At Large seat on the School Board.
The email discussed was a letter from Ohneiser to Geurin regarding the heated boundary discussions in 2006 and 2007 for the Sycolin Creek Elementary School boundaries.
On Tuesday, the heated debate began during the board member comments section of the session, when Reed distributed the email to the rest of the dais and assembled media.
Just before reading the email, Reed was cut off by Chairman John Stevens (Potomac) because he had gone over his alotted five minutes.
At the same time, Ohneiser spoke up with a point of order.
With his time up, Reed requested his time be extended an extra two minutes, while Ohneiser again called for a point of order.
When given the chance to speak Ohneiser outlined his displeasure.
“The current discussion violates our code of conduct §2-3(B)(3) and §2-3(B)(7) and violates Virginia code as well,” Ohneiser said. “As a conflict of interest it’s uniquely political and its sad that this is going on.”
School Board Members Code of Conduct §2-3(B)(3) states “to show respect for and work with my fellow board members and staff in a spirit of harmony and cooperation in spite of differences of opinion that arise during vigorous debate of points at issue” and §2-3(B)(7) states “to resist every temptation and outside pressure to use my position as a school board member to benefit either myself or any other individual or agency apart from the total interest of the school district.”
With the discussion quickly heating up, Stevens was forced to mediate and noted if it continued a short break would be taken.
“Gentleman if we do this we are going to take a break,” Stevens said.
“This is unacceptable,” Ohneiser said. “This is an ambush by…”
Stevens cut him off and immediately announced a five-minute break.
The argument continued for a short period with the microphones off.
Following the break, Stevens said that it is important to remember that cooler heads need to prevail.
“Its okay to talk about controversial things, but we need to do it in a respectful manner, with a lower voice and without finger pointing,” Stevens said. “I just ask that all members realize the reason we are here is to do the public’s business not our own.”
The discussion comes just before the School Board is to begin the process of re-establishing school boundaries in Leesburg with the opening of Frederick Douglass Elementary School next school year.
Re: Tight district race leads to eruption in board room
Posted by:
Disappointed
()
Date: September 30, 2011 09:23AM
I was hoping for an alpha male smackdown.
Re: Tight district race leads to eruption in board room
Posted by:
Reed and Stevens getting desperate
()
Date: October 06, 2011 12:32PM
Reed is SO desperate and immature. Good for Ohneiser to call Reed out on his behavior and to remind Stevens about policy. Stevens’ deference to Reed was extremely transparent. Stevens was totally ineffective as the Chairman, completely unable to control the situation before it escalated. For Stevens to bar Ohneiser from participating on any Committees earlier in the year and then last night enabled Reed to pick a fight in public, illustrates how both he and Reed are without a doubt absolutely unfit to serve. Don’t let the door hit your arse on your way out fellas!