A proposed policy coming before the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education dealing with the resignation and dismissal of board members has one member concerned that it is unconstitutional and circumvents the rights of voters.

The board will vote tonight on a revised policy that, if approved, would empower the board to remove one of its own in the case of an egregious ethical violation.

As it currently stands, only the state commissioner of education can remove a board member, but Policy Committee Chair Ginny Kent said that in recent years local boards have been granted greater control to police themselves - numerous boards locally and statewide have adopted similar language, though few have used it - and the policy would serve as an internal mechanism to enforce proper conduct.

The policy was first discussed last spring, but at the time board members decided that procedures to implement the policy needed to be in place before it came up for another vote, which they now have.

Upon notification of an ethical breach or misconduct, the board president will speak to the vice president and superintendent before appointing three board members to investigate the allegations, according to the current draft of procedures.

At the end of the review, the board would meet in executive session to discuss the results of the investigation and any corrective action, which could be a verbal discussion or written correspondence about the violations discerned and the requisite proper conduct or removal from the board.

Any person dismissed from the board could then appeal to the commissioner, and the board would comply with any decision rendered by the commissioner.

“It's not put into place so that we can now go on a witch hunt and find out which board members might be acting outside our policies,” Kent said, “but it does exist when and if the day comes when a future board needs to find a way to deal with a board member or members that are operating outside the code of conduct and board policy.”

But board member Joe Leogrande isn't so sure that will be the case if it is approved. He has many words to describe the measure, which include “white-collar bullying,” “judge, jury and executioner,” and “witch hunt.”

Leogrande, who has often clashed with other board members, believes the measure is directed at him, and has said so publicly once before, when this fall the board considered - and ultimately approved - a revised code of ethics,

“You ask anybody and they say it's pointing to me,” he said. “This is definitely pointing to me, and what I'm afraid of is how we are going to get future board members - how are we going to get someone to run (for the board) if they know their fellow board members can dismiss you?”

But Kent said no one on the board is a target for an investigation and the policy is only a means to ensure that board members maintain proper conduct.

“There's not going to be a hearing, it's not directed at anyone on the board, it was never directed at anyone on the board,” she said. “That was never the intent of it. In my opinion, it would only be in the most grievous situation that we would ever have to act on removing a board member. I would imagine it would be a very strong situation that would have to exist for that to happen.”

Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net

If you go

What: Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education regular board meeting

Where: Auburn High School library, Lake Avenue

When: Tonight, 7 p.m.