Tulsa board approves ADA investigative position but rejects child nutrition operations pay change

The Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education voted to create an Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator and investigator position but declined to approve a separate change to the child nutrition operations manager role and pay during the board's consent-agenda vote.

Board debate and public emails prompted extended discussion before the consent agenda was called. Board member Ashley led questioning about item E10, asking whether the ADA position was related to DEI work and why the child nutrition role merited an increase in compensation. Human-resources staff and the superintendent said the ADA position is a federally required compliance and investigative role. "This does not relate to a DEI initiative. This relates to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is a law that protects employees with disabilities from discrimination in the workplace and requires us to provide accommodations," said Miss Gentry, who addressed the board during the discussion.

Chief Jennings, who oversees child nutrition and operations, described multiple complaints that had been emailed to board members and said he would work with the child nutrition vendor, Aramark, and provide a response to the board addressing the issues. "I provided a response back to Doctor Johnson addressing each and every one of those," Jennings said, adding that some email claims were not factual and that he would pursue a full accounting to the board while respecting personnel confidentiality.

When the board took its roll-call votes on the consent agenda, several members publicly recorded objections to E10. Board member Ashley voted no on both the ADA position and the child nutrition item; Board member Janette Marshall voted no on both; Board member Moniz said he voted no only on the child nutrition role. Board Clerk Bozzone later reviewed the recorded votes and clarified publicly that the ADA coordinator position passed while the child nutrition operations manager item did not.

The ADA position was described by administrators as a distinct role that will focus on ADA compliance and civil-rights investigations at the district level. Administrators said the position will perform investigative work, interview staff, document complaints and ensure the district meets obligations under federal law; it need not be an attorney but would require investigative and ADA-related experience. "This position would allow us to meet those obligations under federal law," Miss Gentry told the board.

On the child nutrition item, board members pressed for more detail on the supervisory change and the reasons for proposed compensation differences. Chief Jennings said the position previously had supervisory responsibilities and that claims administration and training responsibilities are being moved under the role. He said the proposed change consolidated additional duties under that job but that some board members remained unconvinced that the change or the pay increase was justified. The child nutrition item therefore failed on the consent agenda.

The board instructed staff to provide the job description for the ADA role and a fuller accounting of the child nutrition concerns and responses to the emailed complaints. Board Clerk Bozzone read a vote clarification on the record after the roll call: "I reviewed the votes and the item on E10 as far as the ADA position passed... It was yes on the ADA position," she said.

Administrators also noted the board's interest in transparency: the superintendent said a proposed policy on coordination between the district and the Foundation for Tulsa Schools would be presented at the next meeting and that the district had purchased AI fraud-detection software and hired a licensed CPA as an internal auditor as part of audit-response actions.

Votes at a glance - ADA coordinator/investigator (consent item E10, ADA position): approved. Recorded no votes: Board member Eileen Ashley; Board member Janette Marshall. Recorded yes votes (on the public record): Board members Lamkin, Smith, Moniz. Board Clerk later confirmed the ADA position passed. - Child nutrition operations manager (consent item E10, supervisory change and pay increase): failed. Recorded no votes: Board members Eileen Ashley, Janette Marshall, Board member Moniz (no on child nutrition only). Recorded yes votes on the consent agenda included other members who voted to approve the rest of the consent agenda items.

The board directed staff to provide the ADA job description and to return with documentation addressing the child nutrition complaints and the rationale for supervisory or pay changes.