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Public commenter alleges trustee used profanity and blocked her car; trustee issues apology
Summary
During public comment Michelle Parnell presented a formal complaint alleging Trustee Friberg made disparaging remarks, used profanity and blocked her car after a June 3 meeting; Trustee Freeburg later apologized at the June 17 board meeting and asked to regain trust.
Michelle Parnell, a member of the community, used the public comment period at the June 17 New Haven Unified School District Board of Education meeting to summarize a written complaint she filed with Superintendent Thompson alleging that Trustee Friberg confronted her after the June 3 board meeting, made disparaging remarks and used profanity.
"Trustee Freeberg invited me to go f myself and accused me of lacking self awareness," Parnell said, and told the board she would like the district to provide surveillance video from June 3 and to pursue appropriate sanctions.
Later in the meeting, Trustee Freeburg addressed trustees and the public with an apology for the encounter. "I am speaking today to express my sincere apologies for my recent comments and behavior," the trustee said, acknowledging that the conduct "was unacceptable and do not reflect my true regard for her or her work."
Parnell told the board she declined to engage when the exchange began, that Trustee Friberg allegedly placed herself in the path of Parnell's moving car and shouted at her, and that Parnell is requesting the video footage from June 3 and that the board consider sanctions. Parnell also said she had shared the incident with her accountability circle and that she was seeking the board's intervention.
The trustee's apology acknowledged the board and community and described a commitment to "regaining your trust and to upholding the integrity of this board and the values of our community." The board did not take any formal disciplinary action during the June 17 meeting, and no vote or sanction was recorded in open session. Parnell's request for surveillance footage and any administrative follow-up were recorded as public input and referred to district staff for handling according to board policies on complaints and conduct.
The board's minutes show no formal motion or vote on sanctions at the June 17 meeting; Parnell may pursue further administrative remedies as outlined in district complaint procedures. The district has not announced any additional steps or findings publicly as of the end of the meeting.
