- Jackson Public Schools Board of Education voted Tuesday to reprimand Jeff Beal for disparaging text sent to Trustee Kesha Hamilton.
- Separation is off the table, says Board Chair Pam Fitzgerald.
- Video shows Tuesday's Board meeting, with Fitzgerald and Hamilton commenting.
- DIGITAL EXTRA: WATCH PAM FITZGERALD'S EXTENDED REMARKS
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
A reprimand, not a dismissal — the Jackson Public School Board’s verdict after another closed session to address complaints and accusations regarding Superintendent Jeff Beal.
Meeting again behind closed doors, the Board decided a reprimand would suffice — after accusations flew last month when Beal admitted he accidentally sent a disparaging text message about Trustee Kesha Hamilton to her.
“I was really pleased that the Board recognized that the punishment has to fit the crime,” remarked Board Chair Pam Fitzgerald after the decision.
In last month's meeting, Beal had publicly apologized.
Fitzgerald said she feels anything beyond a reprimand would be too much:
“There was just so much outcry from the public. You know, he’s been such a blessing to the District.”
WATCH BOARD CHAIR PAM FITZGERALD'S EXTENDED REMARKS:
Tuesday’s meeting got off to a rocky start.
Trustee Kesha Hamilton asked for police presence during the closed session. An officer was on hand, but Board members did not react.
Hamilton then refused to join the session.
“I chose to stay out of that session because my physical safety was actually threatened — not once, but twice," said Hamilton. "The second occasion was last month during the closed session.”
Hamilton says it was a fellow Board member who acted in what she saw as a threatening way. She says it took a third Board member to de-escalate the situation.
Public comments Tuesday were lively — some pressing the Board not to let Beal off gently, others commending Beal for the job he has done.
Fitzgerald said the reprimand would most likely be for using a cell phone during a meeting. It would be placed on file for any future employers to see.
“They’ll read it and say ‘The guy sent a text during a meeting and got a reprimand?’ You know, if I had a superintendent coming in for an interview and he had a reprimand for using text, it wouldn’t have taken him off,” remarked Fitzgerald.
CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS COVERAGE OF THE ISSUE HERE.
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