JeffCo BoE Threatening Tax Payers?

Background: JeffCo Public Schools Board of Education (BoE) Special Meeting-S/D Session held on Aug. 18, 2011

official minutes: this is complicated to find as there is no way to direct link to the minutes

JeffCo Public Schools Public Documents
click on "Meetings" tab
click on "Aug. 18, 2011"
click on "View the Agenda"
click on the parts of the agenda that you would like to read

What: JeffCo BoE Treatment of the Public at the Special Meeting and how they are threatening taxpayers.

I received this information from Donna Jack. She has been attending the JeffCo BoE meetings for some time. The person who made the video is Regan Benson. And I did verify the transcript against the video to make sure it was accurate.

[center:207igg04]Have you heard that the Jeffco Sheriff was called to the School Board meeting August 18th?
Read below for index to 8 pages supporting the fact that the Jeffco School District is threatening tax payers.
See attachment for text of the 8 pages in one document.[/center:207igg04]

INDEX (repeated in the attachment)

PAGE 1: Index. This page includes a link to a video Regan Benson made 8/18/11 at the Jefferson County Public School meeting of the Board of Education. A transcription of the video is on pages 6-8.

See video at:
http://tipofthespear.net/downloads/stat ... Benson.mp4
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfcddL3- ... ture=email



NOTE: The above video is 5.5 MB, so it takes about a minute to download. It is also posted on Regan’s Facebook.

Note: After the time of this video, School District security called the Jeffco Sheriff’s office. Someone from the sheriff’s office arrived and said Regan had done nothing wrong.



The above-linked video was taken very soon after Regan moved her chair up closer so she could hear what was being said at the public meeting. The video records School Board member Robin Johnson (democrat – union supported) complaining about Regan having moved closer; and then a School District's security man (John McDonald) attempting to make Regan move to the un-posted area that he says visitors are confined to. In that area, visitors are not able to hear what the participants in the Board meeting are saying. Regan tells John that she cannot hear when sitting back farther, so will move back when they have set up microphones and she can hear everything. He says she is being a disturbance, and he will have to call the police and have her cited for trespassing. He does call, a sheriff arrives, and the sheriff says Regan has done nothing wrong. NOTE: This is not the first time citizens have told the Board and staff that they cannot hear proceedings. In the past they have partially/temporarily used microphones after complaints have been made, only to resort back to no microphones.



PAGE 2 is an August 19, 2011 email Regan sent to her distribution list, reporting on the above-mentioned August 18th Jeffco Public School Board meeting incident.



PAGE 3: This is the email cover letter Regan sent to her distribution list on August 19, 2011. Attached to it was a scanned copy of letter a from Jefferson County Security (see page 4 below) and a scanned copy of the envelope (page 5 below).



PAGE 4: An August 19, 2011 scanned "Certified-Electronic-Receipt-Requested" threatening letter, to Regan from John McDonald, Jeffco Security.



PAGE 5: A scanned copy of the August 19, 2011 registered envelope for John’s letter to Regan.

PAGE 6-8: Transcription of the August 18, 2011 video of John McDonald (Jeffco School District security) and Regan Benson. Below the transcription on page 8, is an account of the rest of the story from that evening. Police came and didn’t cite Regan. The break taken by the Board was their traditional break to go to the restroom, visit or get coffee. During that time microphones were set up. Read of the quality of the results of their efforts, and similar events at previous meetings.

The above pages referenced are in the images below that are taken from Ms. Jack's PDF document.









You can make up your own mind whether the JeffCo BoE is welcoming the public to their meetings or treating JeffCo citizens rudely and threatening those who are questioning how they are leading the JeffCo Public Schools.

my person opinion...

I heard about two months ago how the BoE sets their special meeting up such that public attendees cannot hear what is going on. The tables are set up in a U-shape with the opening of the U away from the public. i.e. some members have their backs to the pubic and the members on the legs of the U are as far away as possible. The public is seated as far from the BoE as possible and thus cannot hear what is being said. I had a difficult time believing elected, public officials could possibility treat their constituents with such disrespect.

This image is a frame from the above video and verifies what I heard.



IMHO Mr. McDonald tried to intimidate Regan. Here is another frame from the video showing how close he is to Regan:



Colorado has our SunShine law to insure the public has access to all appropriate meetings and documents. The above example is not how I expect concerned JeffCo citizens to be treated when attending a PUBLIC meeting of the JeffCo Board of Education. I expect ALL members of the public to be welcomed, regardless whether they are supporters or activists. I expect all members of the BoE and any speakers to use microphones so the public can hear what is being said. For far too long We the People have not watched what the JeffCo BoE is doing, their decision making process, and how they are running OUR educational system. It's high time we - or citizens who have the time and can keep us informed - do so.

Here is some background information on Regan Benson: Mother's Against Debt - Who is Regan Benson?

perhaps these are meetings that we could record so that a larger audience could be informed.

The regular meetings are recorded - audio only. These are on with the official minutes on the BoE document website.

Many of the concerned citizens attending the meetings are also recording them - some video and some audio only. This is IMHO one reason the BoE has taken such inappropriate measures so the public cannot hear what they are saying.

But a video would provide both.