Friday, October 24, 2014

Who gave R-8 Board lawyer the order to stop Debbie Fort interview?

The stories on KZRG and the Joplin Globe about KZRG's aborted interview with Joplin R-8 Board of Education member Debbie Fort raise some serious questions.

As both news sources noted, KZRG's Joe Lancello was interviewing Dr. Fort after Tuesday night's board meeting about some questions on professional development, a subject which came up during the session.

At some point, John Nicholas, the board's attorney, interrupted the interview and said all questions for the board should be directed to Board President Annie Sharp. Nicholas told the Globe it was a "decade-old protocol" and it is designed so the board can speak as one entity.

If we wanted the board to speak as one entity, we should elect a seven-person slate. We elect individuals who we think best reflect our own opinions on education and who we think are the ones who will do the best job of serving the children and the taxpayers of this district.

The questions that need to be asked?

-Who gave Nicholas the order to cut the interview short? Was it Annie Sharp? Was it C. J. Huff?  Someone else?

-Since there is no written policy and there are no laws preventing school board members, whether they hold the position of president or not from speaking to the media, why would a lawyer be the one to intervene?

-Is this really a smart thing for someone who is about to be elected as a judge in Jasper County (Nicholas) to be doing?

-If this was the City Council and not the School Board, wouldn't the Globe be burning up the phone lines, asking Missouri Press Association lawyers whether an elected board can control which of its members can be interviewed by the media? (I am pleased, however, that the Globe wrote an article about this.)

-Why should members of the media not be allowed to go directly to an elected official to ask a question? What sense does it make to have them have to go through the district's P.R. flak to question someone who is right there in the room with them?

-Isn't this another example of the same type of intimidation that has been used to keep any R-8 employees from getting out of line and expressing anything that may question the belief that the Joplin R-8 School District is the best of all possible worlds? While I am not expecting this to keep Dr. Fort from questioning practices and actions that do not meet her definition of responsible or ethical, this appears to be another move by the Huff Administration and the old guard on the Board to isolate Dr. Fort and try to bully her into toeing the line.

-And finally, if C. J. Huff and the old guard are willing to take such a drastic, unnecessary action to stop a board member from talking to to the media, can there be much more doubt that the end is near for their reign of terror?

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is this the same guy running for judge? Will he resign from attorney after the election?

Anonymous said...

R-8 mouthpiece Kelli Price and Globe editor Carol Stark are friends on Facebook, which probably raises some ethical issues. But to the Globe's credit, they did run a front page story on the attorney's strange course of action.

Anonymous said...

I warned the people about John Nicholson when he started to run. He will be the best judge money can buy.

Anonymous said...

Nicholas (sorry)

Anonymous said...

There is a board policy. Read and post it. It says only the president of the board can speak for the board. Individual board members can speak for themselves but not the board. You have to look at the questions Dr. Fort was being asked to see if the lawyer was out of line.

Anonymous said...

She is a terrible person. I saw her pin a kindergartener against a wall and scream at him. I jumped In and she backed off. I then reported her and the administrator told me I was
overreacting. And that I didn't know the whole story. I knew what I saw. An adult bullying a small child. She is a complete ass and should never be in charge of children! !!!

Anonymous said...

Yah and and one time at band camp she beat up a pregnant grandma with Alzheimer's and mental retardation. And, and then, and then she loosened all the bolts on the wheel chairs at the old folks home on the day they wax the floors. I know what I saw,.I am not over reacting. I know she juggles kittens and steals money from blind beggars to pay for drugs that she gives to orphans. And I heard from a very reliable source that she is not even a real medical doctor. She goes through the pharmacy at walmart in the wee hours of the morning and pokes a needle through the bottom of the boxes of condoms. She spits in babys' hair when no one is looking. You know I am tellng the truth, because I have presented so many undisputed facts.

On a side note, we are still selling pieces of ribbon.
Anyone wishing to own a piece of history should contact Kelli Price, Senior Executive Director of Information and Public Relations, at the CJ Huff and Annie Sharp Joplin Schools Admnistrative Complex. We have reduced the price to ten dollars per foot for your memento of history.

Anonymous said...

John Nicholas gives lawyers a bad name, and hat's going some.

Anonymous said...

Does Nicholas attend every board meeting? If so, is he paid by the hour? What's his rate? Do other local boards have an attorney present at meetings? It seems odd.

Anonymous said...

Good thing he stopped her. She is clueless. If you bottom feeders think she is the one to carry your banner, you are sadly mistaken.

Anonymous said...

5:32
We bottom feeders are going to feast on you when you fall helplessly from your glass pedestals.

Anonymous said...

5:32 p m

It is ironic how one who derives all sustenance and self concept directly from CJ's flatulence generating portal, refers to others as "bottom feeders." nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, nom nom...

Anonymous said...

5:32

Did your parents have any chidren that lived?

Anonymous said...

3:18

Lol, lol, oh my God, I make me laugh...ha ha, someone pay attention to me. Stop yelling at me ma, I'm workin down here. We agreed the basement is my work area! I can't take out the trash right now. I'm straightening out the bottom feeding Turner Tards. No, he is not a nice man! No, you don't understand, I have to make all these educated idiots listen. Because no one will read my blog!. Gosh! How many times do I have to explain explain this to you? I am forty years old, and I can do what I want! She left me because she was a Tard. No one can make sandwiches like you ma. Wait. Is this thing on? No don't hit publish...

Anonymous said...

Did CJ ever tell you the story of his older troubled child?? Tell them CJ, inquiring minds want to know.

Anonymous said...

9:58 am

Like many readers of this blog, I do not believe discussing family members, who have not involved themselves in the public fray, is a proper course; especially children. It is without question that CJ and his henchmen have visited harm on countless children. Therefore, I do not question your decision or that of others. I just wonder how far they have dragged us down with them when we resort to their level. I am not criticizing, simply questioning. I apologize for any offense.

Anonymous said...

10:51
He's not a "child" anymore... he's a disowned adult. Can't embarrass the distinguished man of the year even if he did nominate himself!

Anonymous said...

7:26

If he has disowned a now adult child; that could speak directly to his carefully crafted kid friendly image. It is a bit ehically murky, but I would like to know the whole story. Given that he had absolutely no vetting prior to being hired, a little background into the character of this monster might be warranted. No one would argue that these are not desperate times.

On another note, OMG, there was a tornado and that is why we have no money. If there is one thing you learn working in government, it is this:

There is always money for the "important"
things!"

You blame the tornado out of one side of your mouth, while out of the other you justify every might as well expenditure you can dream up. You fire essential personnel, only to replace them with a multi layered ineffectual self perpetuating bureaucracy. You tell teachers to make due while you and your cronies take junkets all over the world. You decry the lack of funds for pay, while you continually increase your own.

Then, you have the gaul to traipse out a series of BS slides with highly dubious numbers to illustrate your imaginary value to a board comprised of a majority of gullible head bobbers, who lack even a rudimentary understanding of statistics. It is like watching a low quality magic show performed for a group of mesmerized children. You seem oblivious to the fact that educated adults watch your little act: it is recorded.