Jackson School board removes vice president over superintendent contract edit

JACKSON, MI – The Jackson Public Schools board removed its vice president because he made an addition to the new superintendent’s contract.

In a Tuesday, June 17 meeting, the Jackson Public Schools Board of Education voted 6-1 to remove Derek Dobies from his position as vice president and make him ineligible for any board office for the remainder of his elected term. Dobies was the lone ‘no’ vote.

Related: Conflict of interest allegation could cost Jackson School board vice president his position

The board selected Treasurer Marilyn Acton to take his place. A new treasurer will need to be selected during the board’s next meeting on July 22, trustee Kesha Hamilton said.

According to a letter to the board, legal counsel Brendon Beer said Dobies inserted “American Federation of School Administrators” into a section covering professional meetings and affiliations in the employment agreement between the board and newly appointed Superintendent Jeremy Patterson.

In the letter, Beer said this could create a conflict of interest, since Dobies is the chief of staff of the labor union AFL-CIO of Michigan, affiliated with AFSA.

Dobies said he inserted AFSA in the contract because he believed it would be beneficial for Patterson. He didn’t believe it was a conflict of interest, since the section authorizes the superintendent to request the district pay fees and dues and the board must approve them in advance.

He said he notified Beer, Patterson and board President Shalanda Hunt that he made edits, but he didn’t reference the addition of AFSA in their conversations. He apologized to the board, Beer and Patterson, for assuming they had seen the edits.

“I don’t believe that removing me from this position is warranted, for that reason I hope that my comments show a fair account of what happened from my perspective,” Dobies said. “I hope that I fully articulated my apologies and my acknowledgement that I could have done better in the drafting process.”

Patterson added that each item of the contract was discussed thoroughly and in good faith. He said the addition of AFSA was made with no transparency.

“While I fully accept his apology, I must acknowledge that trust has been impacted not only for me, but the board of education and the broader community,” Patterson said. “Such actions must not be repeated. Looking ahead, it’s imperative that we uphold the principles of transparency, integrity and open communication.”

The school board also voted 4-3 for Dobies to be censured by the board. Secretary Cheryl Simonetti, who made the motion for the vote, said this was a ‘slap on the hand.’

“It does not take away any of his powers to be a board member or to vote,” Simonetti said. “It’s a statement by the board to say that we disapprove of his behavior.”

Acton motioned to have Dobies resign from the school board. However, Beer advised the board does not have that authority, leading for it to be rescinded. Beer said Dobies can only be removed from office via a recall election or by the governor.

The next Jackson School Board of Education meeting is at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 22 at the Jackson High School Media Center, 544 Wildwood Ave.

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