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Public comment and board exchanges highlight tensions as superintendent departs
Summary
A public commenter criticized a board member’s conduct and praised a colleague; trustees exchanged heated remarks about alleged post-meeting behavior and social-media attacks, while multiple board members publicly thanked Superintendent Dr. Baden for five years of service.
Public comment and later board discussion at the June 24 Centennial School District meeting focused on interpersonal tensions between board members and community concerns about conduct offsite, as trustees also offered public thanks to Superintendent Dr. Baden for five years of service.
A resident, Tina Gay Lieb, used her allotted public-comment time to criticize board member Michael Martin’s behavior following the June 10 meeting and to praise fellow board member Mary Alice Brancato for community service. “I’m very disappointed in Mr. Martin,” Lieb said, recounting what she described as an angry encounter in the meeting parking lot after Mr. Martin drove away while someone approached his vehicle. She also described multiple instances she said show Brancato’s community engagement and support for students.
Following public comment, trustees addressed a string of allegations, social-media posts and rumors that several speakers described as inappropriate. Board member Dr. Maguire said he planned to address “the gravity of the situation” and alleged that a board member had been followed after a meeting; Dr. Maguire said the conduct he described was “entirely unacceptable.” He also urged civility and said that some social-media posts directed at trustees were “cowardly and shameful.”
Superintendent Dr. Baden and board members acknowledged the superintendent’s upcoming departure and several trustees publicly thanked him for his leadership. “Thank you for being our superintendent for the past five years,” a speaker told him during an on-stage presentation of a small gift. Board members including Patty Lynch and others praised Baden’s leadership and said he would be missed.
There were no formal board motions or sanctions arising from the public comments, and trustees did not open an executive session on the matter during the June 24 meeting. Multiple trustees said they would follow up as appropriate and that law enforcement had been contacted in connection with some safety-related reports that were raised to district staff; administrators said they had attempted to clarify concerns with the parties involved.
The exchanges underscored heightened tensions surrounding recent personnel decisions and board politics; several trustees called for more civil public discourse and for the community to avoid unverified allegations on social media.
