School board appoints Bessie Harris after suspending policy; one member abstains
Loading...
Summary
The Detroit Public Schools Community District board suspended Policy 142.5 and appointed Bessie Harris to fill a vacant seat; one member said the policy should have been followed and abstained from the suspension vote.
The Detroit Public Schools Community District board on Oct. 14 suspended an internal policy to expedite filling a board vacancy and voted to appoint Bessie Harris as its newest member.
Board leaders said the third-party administrator from a July selection ranked candidates and the board moved to suspend Policy 142.5 to select the second-ranked candidate after a prior appointee left the board. The motion to suspend the policy passed on a roll call vote recorded as four yeses and one abstention. Doctor Iris Taylor stated on the record, "I think for transparency and integrity that we should have followed the policy that we established." Taylor said she would support the will of the board, but wanted her concern noted.
After the suspension passed, board members moved to appoint Bessie Harris, who was sworn into office the same evening and assigned to the finance and policy committees. The clerk administered the constitutional oath of office and Harris took her seat. The board chair asked Harris to complete onboarding paperwork within the Wayne County filing window.
The board’s chair framed the action as an administrative step that follows a July ranking process conducted by the Allen Law Group. The chair said the appointment extends through Dec. 30, 2026, and that a community-engagement process and policy review informed how the vacancy would be filled moving forward.
The vote and the process drew public attention during and after the meeting. At least one community speaker and a virtual commenter later raised concerns that the board deviated from an established selection policy and asked for a public explanation. The board chair said staff would follow up with the commenter by email.
Next steps: Harris will begin committee work and the district said it will make onboarding records available in compliance with county filing requirements.
