…the establishment of our new “Censured-Member-of-the-Month-Club”
“While the Board believes that Johnston’s misconduct is sufficient grounds for his removal,
But not willing to prolong a fight that would almost certainly be lost on the grounds of free speech violations leaving the Board looking like fools and giving Art Johnston a likely court ordered reimbursement for his attorney fees.
Johnston’s subsequent federal litigation against ISD 709 and five Board members has the potential to result in a drawn-out, time-consuming and expensive legal process
But we the majority take no blame for this. Its all Art Johnston’s fault for defending himself from our exaggerated accusations and not quitting in shame after eleven months of newspaper shaming over abuses that its own investigator refused to characterize as violating any state statutes.
which would distract from focusing on the primary mission of our schools, which is the education and well-being of our students.
Which we all just sort of forgot about for eleven months.
Therefore, the Duluth School Board will consider rescinding the removal of Johnston and replacing it with formal censure at a special School Board meeting to be held next week.
And we will institute a new Censured-Member-of-the-Month-Club which, however, will be limited to a membership of two censured monthly on a rotating basis.
The Board expects Johnston will then dismiss his federal lawsuit, for which he is seeking monetary damages.”
And we get the satisfaction of seeing Art Johnston pay out $40 grand for a case against him that couldn’t get out of the gate.
