Gordon Clay
Brookings, Oregon

Tonight's speech is directed to you, the school board. You see, March is Girl's Sports Month and a reminder of a time about three years ago when a number of girls who played basketball for Brookings-Harbor asked for protection and were ignored. It's also the month four years ago when Dorothy Schull passed away.

The continued silence from the board regarding bullying is deeply frustrating to many parents, students and other community members.

I have yet to see anything publicly from the school board since that June 19, 2013 meeting that shows that there is any intention to change the school's culture except for the Coach's Creed which only deals with a coach's major violation of a rule, or regulation and law.

Many times in the last 2 1/2 years I have asked the board to clarify where you stand on the ODE's seven points of conciliation and have basically been told that the board's position is confidential. What is so secret about knowing where the board actually stands on

1. Prompt and equitable requirements and grievance procedures?
2. Adequate, reliable and impartial investigation of complaints;
3. Designated and reasonably prompt investigation time frames;
4. Written notice of outcome of complainants;
5. Appropriate remedies and enforcement;
6. Proactive education, training and prevention for all participants; and
7. Effective involvement of the District's Title IX coordinator.

The community deserves to know.

So, what are the short-term results of all of this attention and focus?

Behavioral disruption was up 67% last year and last year was a transition year.

We have not been able to get the data for, ah, I've got it right here. We've not been able to get the Healthy Teen Survey data so I had to go to county data with Gold Beach and Brookings. Our 8th graders led all counties in Oregon in 12 or 14 questions regarding bullying, violence and suicide. Half of those questions, our 8th graders are twice above the average Oregon 8th grader

Realize if you think people can, can't sue the district in the last year and a half, I know of six Oregon school districts who have been sued around bully issues for from $3.3, $350K to $2.9 million.

I would like to ask, how much time do I have? I'd like to ask for 10 seconds of silence for to acknowledge Dorothy Shull who die on March 26 four years ago. May I have that? Thank-you.

I appreciate acknowledging that request. I do have a handout.

Source: Transcript of my Citizen's input at the March 16, 2016 Regular Board Meeting

What the minutes say

Gordon Clay stated that March is the girls’ sports month as well as the month four years ago Dorothy Shull passed away. He expressed that he has yet to see anything publicly, besides the coach’s creed, in regards to the intention to change the school’s culture. He added the ODE’s seven points of conciliation. Gordon Clay also discussed the teen’s healthy survey data as well as asking for 10 seconds of silence in remembrance of Dorothy Shull. He gave the board a handout.