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Support‑staff union president tells board pre‑investigation attorney letters harm morale
Summary
Andrea Beaman, president of the classified support staff union, told the board that form letters drafted by the district's attorney are being sent to employees before fact‑finding and that those letters remain in personnel files even when allegations are cleared. She asked the board to review the practice.
Andrea Beaman, president of the Maple Organization Support Team (classified support staff union), raised concerns during public participation at the Oct. 13 Maple Heights Board of Education meeting about the district's process for pre‑investigation correspondence to employees.
Beaman said employees sometimes receive form letters drafted by the district attorney before a fact‑finding meeting. The letters, she said, allege serious misconduct including "incompetency, dishonesty, insubordination, discourteous treatment of the public, malfeasance or misfeasance" before an investigation is complete and that the letters remain in personnel files even when employees are cleared. "These letters are drafted by your attorney. And they are geared to belittle, denigrate, and discredit an employee prior to even hearing their side of the issue," Beaman said.
She told the board the practice harms morale, undermines trust, and urged board members to review an example letter. The board president and superintendent acknowledged the concern; the board moved on to executive session later in the agenda and the union president said she had provided a copy of the letter for board review.
No formal action was taken during the public comment item; the union leader asked the board to examine the procedure and the content of pre‑investigation letters.
