ROCKLAND, Maine — A Rockland school director said she was removed from two committees by the board chairman after she refused to meet with him about her public criticism of a police drug search at the high school.
Regional School Unit 13 Board member Carol Bachofner confirmed Monday she was removed from her two committee assignments Dec. 23 by board Chairman Steve Roberts of Rockland.
The chairman Monday defended his action, particularly in the wake of the member’s refusal to meet with him and the superintendent about her behavior. Roberts said he is not trying to prohibit board members from talking to media.
Bachofner and Roberts are among four people who have announced they are seeking the Democratic nomination for the Maine House seat vacated by Rep. Elizabeth Dickerson of Rockland. Roberts pointed out, however, he removed Bachofner from the committees before Dickerson announced her resignation and said his action is not related to the two of them vying for the same nomination.
On Dec. 4, police conducted a search of Oceanside High School East in Rockland at the request of the school administration. Two drug-sniffing dogs and their police handlers were brought in. The dogs sniffed backpacks and lockers, but no drugs were found.
Bachofner criticized the search a day after it happened in an article published in the Bangor Daily News. She said trust was a two-way street: If school officials want students to trust them, the school officials also must show trust in the students.
On Dec. 12, Bachofner received an email from Superintendent John McDonald asking for a meeting with him and Roberts on Dec. 17. The topic of the meeting was not listed.
Bachofner declined that date for a meeting, pointing out she would be out of town during that time. She suggested a meeting in January with the superintendent. On Dec. 17, Roberts offered several dates to meet with him and the superintendent.
Bachofner responded that day and declined to meet with Roberts.
“Respectfully, I decline your request to meet with you on any of these dates. I have thought about this and I believe such a meeting will produce nothing,” she stated in an email to Roberts on Dec. 17.
“If your concern is my response to the recent dog-sniffing search of students’ belongings without reasonable access to their due process (i.e. absent any reasonable suspicion), then perhaps a greater concern ought to be why this was done. Just doing it to do it as apparently [Principal] Renee [Thompson] did at her former place of employment before she did it here, to “send a message,” is not adequate in light of our responsibility to protect the students’ rights and to teach them the civics lesson of such protections,” Bachofner wrote in the email.
Renee Thompson was principal at Ellsworth High School for five years before she was hired this summer as principal of Oceanside East.
Roberts responded in a Dec. 23 email to Bachofner.
“In the absence of not being able to meet with you, your refusal to meet to engage in constructive conversation on the topics referenced for our meeting says all I need to hear regarding what your capacity for effective boardsmanship is at this time. Therefore, as board chair as of this date, I am removing you from all board committee assignments until this is resolved and I am again comfortable that you are acting in the best interests of our schools and its students,” Roberts stated.
Bachofner served on the curriculum and technology committees.
Bachofner said by removing her from the committees, where a lot of work on developing policies is done, Roberts is interfering with her ability to do the job Rockland residents elected her to do.
The board chairman said, however, that board policy is clear on the conduct of its members. He said policies include a provision that prohibits members from publicly criticizing employees. He also cited a policy that “board members will support a decision graciously once it has been made by the majority of the board.”
“Our board policies lay out a foundation for board members to operate. If someone strays from that foundation and refuses to meet with the board chair, I am left to take action,” Roberts said.
In her emails, Bachofner said she had sought unsuccessfully to get the search issue placed on the board’s December agenda and that the January meeting was scheduled for a date when she was out of state.
Roberts said he is not prohibiting any board member from commenting publicly. He said he did not want to be specific on his issues with Bachofner because it is a personnel matter and he wants to protect her privacy.
Bachofner countered, saying she does not consider herself an employee of the district but an elected representative of Rockland residents.
Bachofner said she plans to contact the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine about her being punished for speaking her mind. Rachel Healy, communications director for the Maine chapter of the ACLU, said the organization had not yet received any information on the issue and needed to decline comment.