Clovis school board promises ‘change’ after adults bully student during public meeting
Clovis Unified School Board President Steven Fogg said he would work to ensure all speakers at school board meetings feel safe, following an incident Wednesday when adults in the crowd booed a high school student.
As school board meetings have become more contentious during the coronavirus pandemic, trustees have grappled with how to take control when members of the public interrupt and sometimes shut down meetings.
Pandemic-related tensions overheated again on Wednesday at a Clovis Unified school board meeting when Rami Zwebti, a senior at Buchanan High School, was booed and heckled by adults at the meeting who didn’t like what the high school student had to say.
The following day, Superintendent Eimear O’Brien told The Bee that she asked Fogg to “re-examine his current meeting protocols to ensure our students feel safe when attending future board meetings.”
O’Brien said Fogg indicated he would reach out to Zwebti “to convey his commitment to the creation of a more respectful environment in the future.”
In a brief statement to The Bee, Fogg said, “We WILL not tolerate the mistreatment of our board members, parents or students who speak at our board meetings.”
Although it’s unclear what specifically could change in Clovis in response to Wednesday’s incident.
Board bylaws already require the president to protect speakers who have the floor from “disturbance or interference.” CUSD board bylaws also require the president to “preserve order and decorum at Board meetings.”
Fogg said plans for “change” require more time for analysis and discussion but said he’s serious about participating in the conversation, saying, “the change we need to consider are complex and must be done wisely.”
“I have several ideas on changes we could make, but I need time to study and discuss with those who have more experience than me,” Fogg told The Bee’s Education Lab.
O’Brien called the treatment of Rami “disturbing and utterly unacceptable to me.”
Rami spoke at the podium about being immunocompromised, telling speakers who made unfounded claims about vaccine deaths and masks to “set aside your pretentious arrogance.”
“I’m sick of hearing abled individuals complain about masking and vaccines,” they said. “Your ignorance and privilege speaks volumes.”
Rami confirmed that O’Brien and other school officials reached out to them shortly after their speech due to the negative comments.
“In Clovis Unified, we have always been committed to creating an environment where everyone feels able to share their opinions, to be heard, and to do so without fear of bullying behavior by members of the public attending our meetings,” O’Brien said.
At Wednesday’s meeting, an administrator was also interrupted by members of the crowd as she attempted to address the board’s questions at the podium.
Corrine Folmer, the associate superintendent of School Leadership, was explaining to the board why a negative COVID test was required to attend the outdoor Sadie Hawkins dance but not a football game.
“It’s a lot closer proximity,” she began to say as a member of the public yelled, “nope!” and she briefly stopped speaking.
Fresno-area residents weigh in
Fresno-area residents took to social media to weigh in on Wednesday’s meeting.
Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias said on Twitter that anti-maskers were directed to school boards after the Fresno County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution that supported local control in schools over COVID-19 issues. The masking and vaccine mandates are state orders, and although districts such as Clovis have fiercely advocated for local control, they have publicly said they must follow the law.
Arias said the move by the county directed “anti-maskers from the County to school boards without the armed security the BOS enjoys.”
One user mocked the superintendent’s statement about speakers needing a “safe” space. “And we wonder why many young people are so ill prepared for life?”
Others wondered why the board or superintendent didn’t directly address the jeering from the dais.
“... maybe they should have…I dunno…done SOMETHING at the meeting to silence the “unacceptable” behavior.
The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab here.