A Grapevine-Colleyville school trustee accused fellow board members of making her the target of a political “witch hunt” after allegations that she had violated an ethics pledge.
During a heated executive session Monday, board president Casey Ford accused trustee Becky St. John of calling another board member a bitch at a previous meeting and of falsely accusing the district’s lawyer of sleeping during that same meeting.
St. John, a longtime trustee who requested the session be made public, said she had not called the fellow trustee that profanity. St. John argued that she was being targeted because she criticized the conservative policies the board passed last month that limit how teachers talk about race, gender, and sexuality; impact which bathrooms transgender students can use; and give trustees a greater say over what books are available in schools.
St. John said she learned her name was added to the board’s agenda on Friday, but Ford would not tell her why. She has since received dozens of emails, some criticizing her previous comments about the district’s new policies.
“I am not going to be the subject of a witch hunt and manipulation of an agenda,” St. John said.
Tension has increased among the Grapevine-Colleyville board after a new group of trustees — supported by conservative PACs — established a conservative majority.
“I really hope if you have an issue with me, you contact me first,” Rodriguez said. He added, “Putting someone on the agenda without telling her what it is, that’s unprofessional. We don’t behave like that.”
But Ford countered that St. John has refused to meet with him.
“For the majority of the time being on the board together, we’ve met because you return phone calls, you return texts. We do have that relationship,” Ford said to Rodriguez. “But Becky St. John rarely ever responds to any of my communication. We have had opportunities to come together, to meet, to have discussions and she doesn’t want to. She doesn’t have time.”
St. John said she’s requested communications in writing from Ford but that he has not obliged.
“I’m not going to put conversations in text with you because you’re gonna go blast to the whole world what is a private conversation,” Ford countered.
Many public speakers at the meeting said they feared that the divisive, “petty” politics of GCISD prompted longtime superintendent Robin Ryan to retire. He announced his decision on Friday.
Several accused board members of working to oust Ryan and criticized “the political circus” the board has become saying the strain could eventually cause teachers to leave the district.
Some speakers said they wanted trustees to find a way to put differences and outside political influence aside to work on behalf of students.
Others spoke in support of the newly elected trustees thanking them for pushing forward the policies.
