Board president requests apology, warns of censure after reported parking‑lot confrontation

The Midland County School District board president read a formal statement at the April 23 meeting alleging that a fellow trustee had publicly berated another board member in the district administration parking lot and used profane language. The president said the conduct violated the board’s Principles of Governance and Leadership policy and requested a public apology; the statement warned that failure to apologize could lead to formal disciplinary action, including a censure resolution.

The hearing of the complaint and the board’s statement took place in public. According to the statement read into the record, the alleged incident included profane, unprofessional language and a threat to seek removal from a board leadership position. Board leadership said the matter was reported to the superintendent and solicitor, reviewed, and found to be in violation of board policy; the president offered a private conference to the trustee, which the trustee declined.

The trustee who was named in the announcement responded in public. She disputed elements of the timeline and said she had sought details about the reported meeting and had tried to coordinate with staff; she apologized for the language she used in the parking lot but said she would continue to express her opinions and concerns in a professional one‑on‑one manner in the future. Board members engaged in back-and-forth about whether the offered apology met expectations and about the appropriate next steps.

"We expect Mrs. Bartlett to refrain from publicly berating board members over simple disagreements, reaffirm her commitment to uphold all board policies, and maintain professional decorum," the president read. The president said administration and the solicitor had followed board policy in reviewing the incident and that the board would consider a censure resolution if a sufficient public apology was not forthcoming.

Several trustees expressed that the matter should be resolved privately if possible; others said the board needed to make clear that public attacks and profanity are unacceptable among elected officials. The board announced it would pursue internal procedures, including the possibility of a formal censure resolution, if the apology and corrective behavior requested were not given.

The discussion concluded with the president stating the board would proceed with drafting a censure resolution to be considered at a future meeting unless the requested apology and an acceptable corrective plan were provided.