Trust me — if you’re looking for excitement, Guilford County Board of Education meetings are not the place to be.
However, the N&R’s print version of Inside Scoop reports there were some fireworks when two board members walked out as fellow board member Paul Daniels expressed his support for Amendment One:
Daniels read a lengthy statement about his reasons for favoring a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
..Kris Cooke interrupted him and walked out with fellow member Jeff Belton.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t think this is the place for political speech. This is against everything I believe.”
Daniels chafed, saying he would never interrupt other members during their comments.
“It’s funny how the open-minded folks tend to be the most close-minded, tend to be the most intolerant,” he said.
Seems like every other local government body feels compelled to weigh in on Amendment One, so what’s wrong with a school board member doing so, especially considering the fact that fellow board member Deena Hayes has waxed philosophical at will on issues than may or may not related to education.
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01
2012 At 8:11 am, bubba Said:
“It’s funny how the open-minded folks tend to be the most close-minded, tend to be the most intolerant”
As applied to conservatives’ opinions, the standards of decency and open-mindedness do not apply.
It’s just the standard “progressive” situational ethics at work: “Free speech for me, but not for thee.”
02
2012 At 11:55 am, Michael Parrish Said:
To quote Sam Hieb, “Seems like every other local government body feels compelled to weigh in on Amendment One, so what’s wrong with a school board member doing so ?. . .” There is one very simple answer.
Board members are subject to their own policy regarding discrimination: The board approved adding anti-bullying as part of its discrimination-free workplace policy at its meeting Tuesday. The policy, Staff Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination-Free Environment, was updated as part of the district’s character development and respectful and responsive service initiatives. The changes also align the policy with the School Violence Prevention Act (Ch.SL 2009-212), which was adopted by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2009.
This policy, STUDENT HARASSMENT, BULLYING AND DISCRIMINATION FREE ENVIRONMENT Descriptor Code:JCDAD states:It is the policy of the Guilford County Board of Education to maintain a learning environment that is free from harassment, bullying, and discrimination. Students are prohibited from engaging in harassment, bullying, or DISCRIMINATION based on an individual’s real or perceived race, color, sex, religion, creed, political belief, age, national origin, linguistic and language differences, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, gender identity/expression, socioeconomic status, height, weight, physical characteristics, marital status, parental status, or disability. The Board PROHIBITS ANY AND ALL FORMS OF HARRASMENT because of those differences.
Paul Daniels is guilty of violating this policy! Using his position on and at the school board meeting to endorse an amendment that will with absolute clarity discriminate against ANY form of domestic civil union that is not between one man and one woman is defacto discrimination clearly aimed any anyone who is not heterosexual.
That is why Mr. Daniels comments were out of order and a clear violation of board policy which is his sworn duty to uphold.