The Baltimore County school board’s censure of their colleague Maggie Domanowski was top of mind in the packed house at Tuesday night’s public meeting. But a request to add it to the agenda to discuss it further was rejected by most board members.
Domanowski was censured at a school board meeting earlier this month for the way she questioned Superintendent Myriam Rogers about the budget during a Jan. 28 meeting.
The board’s decision to publicly reprimand Domanowski led to scrutiny from the community and lawmakers, some of whom found it over the top and suggested it was “bullying” behavior. Others said proper decorum needs to be restored.
That was the sentiment on Tuesday night among some state lawmakers, such as former school board member and current Democratic delegate Cheryl Pasteur, who called in to support the board’s decision to uphold their expectations for civility and respectful behavior.
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Makeda Scott, another former board member, also supported the censure. She said board members were disrespectful when she served a few years ago, but that doesn’t mean it should be tolerated moving forward.
However, Barbara Dezmon, a former Baltimore County educator, spoke out against the censure. She said it “sets a dangerous precedent” for board members who are speaking on behalf of their constituents. Given the public’s response to the reprimand, Dezmon said: “Ask yourselves, was it worth it?”
Domanowski’s comments at the January meeting, according to the censure, were considered “rude and disrespectful” with a “tone and manner that was perceived as uncivil and aggressive.”
The board member was asking about budget line items that she thought showed drastic cuts or increases. Rogers and her team offered a series of explanations, often noting that functions had been combined or moved under different divisions.
Watch a recording of the exchange:
Watch: Baltimore County school board member’s actions that led to censure
Domanowski, and three other board members, disagreed with the censure.
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Members of the Baltimore County Parent and Student Coalition, which describes itself as a nonpartisan grassroots organization and has affiliated with both conservative and liberal groups, called for the board to revoke the censure and apologize to Domanowski. They created a petition to send to all board members, Rogers, the state board and the state superintendent. In the petition, the group states the censure gives the appearance of a political agenda and seems like it’s punishing Domanowski for doing her duty.
“Silencing individuals for their tone rather than addressing the substance of their concerns sends a dangerous message: that difficult questions and scrutiny are not welcome,” the petition states.
Republican politicians shared similar thoughts.
Baltimore County Councilman David Marks called the censure “shameful” in a March 13 Facebook post. Council members have heated debates all the time, but they’ve never ended in a censure, he wrote.
Del. Kathy Szeliga said on WBAL radio on March 18 that the board is looking for “stage-managed politeness.”
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“That’s not what this is about,” she said. “She should be encouraged to speak.”
She and fellow Baltimore County delegate Ryan Nawrocki sent a letter to the board and Rogers calling the censure bullying and an overreaction. The board should be focused on existing challenges like chronic absenteeism and classroom discipline, they wrote.
Meanwhile, a petition started by a group that calls itself Concerned Community Members for Civil Discourse, states that they’ve been “increasingly disheartened” with conduct displayed at board meetings. But a “specific board member’s behavior has become disruptive, detracting from the intended focus — the betterment of our education system.”
They accused that board member, whom the petition did not name, of disrespect, incivility and “a clear lack of adherence to the standards of conduct expected from public officials. Such actions are not conducive to productive meetings and are an insult to the purpose they serve.”
Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify that the Baltimore County Parent and Student Coalition has affiliations with conservative and liberal groups.
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