Trustee’s bid to add disciplinary vote on superintendent fails amid heated board exchange

At a Benton Harbor Area Schools work session, Trustee Gavin moved to amend the agenda to include disciplinary action against Superintendent Dr. Bus. The motion, which Trustee Gavin described as a formal means to place concerns on record, was seconded but sparked a sharp exchange among board members.

Vice President Bowens called the proposal a "Witch Hunt," urging the board to focus on students and operations rather than what she called political maneuvering. Trustee Gavin countered that bringing concerns forward in writing and on the agenda is standard governance when patterns of concern surface; he said the motion was not personal but about accountability.

President Robinson presided as members debated whether the amendment properly belonged on the current agenda. Secretary Triplet led the roll-call vote: President Robinson, Vice President Bowens, Secretary Triplet and Trustee Rocket Martin voted no; Trustee Gavin voted yes, and the motion failed.

After the vote, President Robinson announced a temporary AOT committee—Triplet, Rocket Martin and Robinson—to work with Dr. Bus to finalize superintendent goals and return recommendations to the full board at the September meeting. Board members who pressed for disciplinary action said their preference remained that concerns be recorded and addressed in writing; opponents said due process and focus on district priorities should guide next steps.

The board did not take formal disciplinary action at the meeting; the AOT committee assignment was the immediate procedural outcome.