Andrea Nelson Speech - ICSB Meeting - July 7, 2019
I decided that we need to lighten up a little and brought a gift for all of you. I had this for the July meeting because what better what to celebrate Utah than have green jello. So we’ll hand it out today.
Roice, my husband grew up on the farm that sits just north of Gateway academy. Grandma Nelson lived in the old house still standing there and Roice and his cousin Roice used to spend a lot of time at Grandma’s. Grandma didn’t have much in the way of worldy goods. She grew most of her own food. Sometimes she was able to buy store bought treats. One day Grandma asked Big Roice and Little Roice if they had seen Grandma’s green Jello that she had bought to make something special. “No, we haven’t seen any of your Jello Grandma.” “Are you sure?’ she asked again. “Absolutely we don’t know anything about your Jello Grandma. “ Grandma asked them to turn and face each other and stick out their tongues. Big Roice had to explain to little Roice that they had been caught.
So seems to be the case of many people in this room today. It is time to face each other and yourselves and realize that you’ve been caught.
Mr. Allen. While you may have not taken a poll as to how each person would vote, the Aug. 28, 2018 recording shows obvious intent and purpose and all were agreed. In fact no one in the room said ‘Hey shouldn’t we be more transparent with the community?” Many of us in this room have talked to your friends and associates who talked to you previous to the vote and warned you of serious consequences of this decision and the mistake it would be. After the discussions with you it was no mistaking to them how you would vote. Even though you claim you did not know that is either naïveté, or a cover-up, or prevarication none of which are worthy of a public official.
In a media release that I saw on the noon news in January, Mr. Allen publicly claimed that the board was in no hurry to make any change and that they would be carefully studying the issue. The vote was held 10 days later. Anyone with common sense would realize that that public statement was misleading as to the careful study and time frame required for that careful study. No Hurry? The Aug 28. recording shows there was great interest in not delaying because as Mr. Haynie. Says it would hurt our cause because the cat’s out of the bag
The indication in that same recording of finding like-minded people who want to remove the REDMEN name is blatant. We also have an e-mail to one of our associates from Becki Bronson saying that both Rich and Harold came to her wanting names of those who want the change that they can ask to be on the committee. Two very prominent community members who most of us in this room know left the committee saying “It was rigged.” You didn’t want in-put, you didn’t want research, you didn’t even want facts - so you simply conspired to get the result you wanted.
The Binder had 99% information from the Center for American Progress in Washington D.C. that is the most liberal think tank in D.C. and founded by John Podesta and funded by George Soros. If you need help looking them up and their radical activities I can assist. Also, in the binder it indicates you need to take a long time 2-3 years to get enough people on your side.
Mrs. Lambert in your speech (17mins.) by the way usually the longer the speech is the more prevarications, the most racist comments in this whole affair was made when you stated that growing up in Nebraska you enjoyed going out to the reservation and seeing the Native American people in their attire. “It has a place there but not here.” Why not here? Are we so racist as to not allow that image and imagery in our schools? And at the end after the vote you stated “No outside influences.” What about the binder? What about the justification given in the forums that the kids live in a world of social media and that Superintendent Dulaney makes a statement that it’s not really a problem here just from the outside. Is that what we are teaching kinds in Iron County today is to cave to outside influences and social media without proper analysis and research? That is what the district did. Caving to outside influences without open and proper discussions and research is not what Iron County students should be learning. What a bad example of critical thinking and decision making. That is why we will not leave it alone. It is for the kids.
Now to bullying. I’ve taught high school here and in Houston Texas as well as worked with youth my entire adult life. If there is one word that describes teenagers in general and particularly teenage girls it is “DRAMA”. Mr. Allen admitted that he did not follow-up on the reports. Apparently no one did. There were no reports of bullying filed with the state office of education as required by law. Neither was there reports filed with local law enforcement officials. Also, one thing is to be understood that when there are serious allegations there is no such thing as confidential. These things must be researched and followed-up on. So if there was bullying sufficient to warrant investigation none was done. The other thing we have discovered is that for serious allegations involving a minor - that underage person must be interviewed by a licensed forensic interviewer. We have checked into this as there were students including NA students who were put on the spot by teachers asking them why they wanted a racist mascot. That is totally unacceptable from a teacher in front of other students.
Last time Ms. Jorgensen-Jones asked me to talk with her husband and ask him if she being a the real estate agent in a purchase involving the school district while she was on the board is ethical. That he told her “It’s done all the time. 1. I don’t want to talk with your husband, what makes him an expert in ethics? You are the elected official and should know what ethics mean. 2. Just because others are doing it doesn’t justify anyone else doing it if it is wrong. 3. It was a conflict of interest and there is no statue of limitations on ethical behavior. The only public information as to who the President of the school board was at the time indicated that you were. That is why I sent a request to all of you to get it on the website so there is no mistaking. As to when Mrs. Dulaney was hired, - The agreement with the bank was signed the end of June. Mrs. Dulaney came on in July, but the vote to approve the purchase was not made until August of that year. How does one agree with the bank for the money in June and then not vote to approve it until August. There is something very wrong there. Most places have to approve expenditures before the expenditures are agreed upon. To then say as Mr Allen did, “We were trying to save a little money begs the question. At what price is the school board willing to sell it’s integrity. This was a conflict of interest pure and simple.
An email from the superintendent dated Feb 2. 2019, before the vote, told the recipient that financial discussions about the change had been “central to our good board’s discussion.” Two corroborating pieces if evidence show finances had not been discussed one of which is that there is no mention in any of the school board minutes it had been discussed. Also about March 15th in a discussion with the deputy Sherriff, Superintendent Dulaney said that funding for the gym floor was probably in the capital improvements budget for 2021. Yet about the time school started this year, the floor is being sanded and the girls volleyball team or so I’ve been told will not have a home game this year. Is that kind of planning thinking of every student?
Furthermore, on the day of the vote Ms. Jorgenson said she wanted more information then pressed (some say bullied) by Mr. Allen to cast a vote. Why did you cast a vote when you wanted more information? Either it was an act, or you voted without all the information you said you needed, which also makes you unfit for office.
Due to ineptness, lack of transparency, misleading statements, and making decisions without all the information, the three of you should resign immediately. Do it for the kids. They deserve better. And you have been caught.
-Andrea Nelson
Roice, my husband grew up on the farm that sits just north of Gateway academy. Grandma Nelson lived in the old house still standing there and Roice and his cousin Roice used to spend a lot of time at Grandma’s. Grandma didn’t have much in the way of worldy goods. She grew most of her own food. Sometimes she was able to buy store bought treats. One day Grandma asked Big Roice and Little Roice if they had seen Grandma’s green Jello that she had bought to make something special. “No, we haven’t seen any of your Jello Grandma.” “Are you sure?’ she asked again. “Absolutely we don’t know anything about your Jello Grandma. “ Grandma asked them to turn and face each other and stick out their tongues. Big Roice had to explain to little Roice that they had been caught.
So seems to be the case of many people in this room today. It is time to face each other and yourselves and realize that you’ve been caught.
Mr. Allen. While you may have not taken a poll as to how each person would vote, the Aug. 28, 2018 recording shows obvious intent and purpose and all were agreed. In fact no one in the room said ‘Hey shouldn’t we be more transparent with the community?” Many of us in this room have talked to your friends and associates who talked to you previous to the vote and warned you of serious consequences of this decision and the mistake it would be. After the discussions with you it was no mistaking to them how you would vote. Even though you claim you did not know that is either naïveté, or a cover-up, or prevarication none of which are worthy of a public official.
In a media release that I saw on the noon news in January, Mr. Allen publicly claimed that the board was in no hurry to make any change and that they would be carefully studying the issue. The vote was held 10 days later. Anyone with common sense would realize that that public statement was misleading as to the careful study and time frame required for that careful study. No Hurry? The Aug 28. recording shows there was great interest in not delaying because as Mr. Haynie. Says it would hurt our cause because the cat’s out of the bag
The indication in that same recording of finding like-minded people who want to remove the REDMEN name is blatant. We also have an e-mail to one of our associates from Becki Bronson saying that both Rich and Harold came to her wanting names of those who want the change that they can ask to be on the committee. Two very prominent community members who most of us in this room know left the committee saying “It was rigged.” You didn’t want in-put, you didn’t want research, you didn’t even want facts - so you simply conspired to get the result you wanted.
The Binder had 99% information from the Center for American Progress in Washington D.C. that is the most liberal think tank in D.C. and founded by John Podesta and funded by George Soros. If you need help looking them up and their radical activities I can assist. Also, in the binder it indicates you need to take a long time 2-3 years to get enough people on your side.
Mrs. Lambert in your speech (17mins.) by the way usually the longer the speech is the more prevarications, the most racist comments in this whole affair was made when you stated that growing up in Nebraska you enjoyed going out to the reservation and seeing the Native American people in their attire. “It has a place there but not here.” Why not here? Are we so racist as to not allow that image and imagery in our schools? And at the end after the vote you stated “No outside influences.” What about the binder? What about the justification given in the forums that the kids live in a world of social media and that Superintendent Dulaney makes a statement that it’s not really a problem here just from the outside. Is that what we are teaching kinds in Iron County today is to cave to outside influences and social media without proper analysis and research? That is what the district did. Caving to outside influences without open and proper discussions and research is not what Iron County students should be learning. What a bad example of critical thinking and decision making. That is why we will not leave it alone. It is for the kids.
Now to bullying. I’ve taught high school here and in Houston Texas as well as worked with youth my entire adult life. If there is one word that describes teenagers in general and particularly teenage girls it is “DRAMA”. Mr. Allen admitted that he did not follow-up on the reports. Apparently no one did. There were no reports of bullying filed with the state office of education as required by law. Neither was there reports filed with local law enforcement officials. Also, one thing is to be understood that when there are serious allegations there is no such thing as confidential. These things must be researched and followed-up on. So if there was bullying sufficient to warrant investigation none was done. The other thing we have discovered is that for serious allegations involving a minor - that underage person must be interviewed by a licensed forensic interviewer. We have checked into this as there were students including NA students who were put on the spot by teachers asking them why they wanted a racist mascot. That is totally unacceptable from a teacher in front of other students.
Last time Ms. Jorgensen-Jones asked me to talk with her husband and ask him if she being a the real estate agent in a purchase involving the school district while she was on the board is ethical. That he told her “It’s done all the time. 1. I don’t want to talk with your husband, what makes him an expert in ethics? You are the elected official and should know what ethics mean. 2. Just because others are doing it doesn’t justify anyone else doing it if it is wrong. 3. It was a conflict of interest and there is no statue of limitations on ethical behavior. The only public information as to who the President of the school board was at the time indicated that you were. That is why I sent a request to all of you to get it on the website so there is no mistaking. As to when Mrs. Dulaney was hired, - The agreement with the bank was signed the end of June. Mrs. Dulaney came on in July, but the vote to approve the purchase was not made until August of that year. How does one agree with the bank for the money in June and then not vote to approve it until August. There is something very wrong there. Most places have to approve expenditures before the expenditures are agreed upon. To then say as Mr Allen did, “We were trying to save a little money begs the question. At what price is the school board willing to sell it’s integrity. This was a conflict of interest pure and simple.
An email from the superintendent dated Feb 2. 2019, before the vote, told the recipient that financial discussions about the change had been “central to our good board’s discussion.” Two corroborating pieces if evidence show finances had not been discussed one of which is that there is no mention in any of the school board minutes it had been discussed. Also about March 15th in a discussion with the deputy Sherriff, Superintendent Dulaney said that funding for the gym floor was probably in the capital improvements budget for 2021. Yet about the time school started this year, the floor is being sanded and the girls volleyball team or so I’ve been told will not have a home game this year. Is that kind of planning thinking of every student?
Furthermore, on the day of the vote Ms. Jorgenson said she wanted more information then pressed (some say bullied) by Mr. Allen to cast a vote. Why did you cast a vote when you wanted more information? Either it was an act, or you voted without all the information you said you needed, which also makes you unfit for office.
Due to ineptness, lack of transparency, misleading statements, and making decisions without all the information, the three of you should resign immediately. Do it for the kids. They deserve better. And you have been caught.
-Andrea Nelson