Investigator: personal disputes left Robbinsdale school board dysfunctional

Isaac Kaufman, the investigator retained by the Robbinsdale Public School District, told the board on Aug. 26 that his 34-page report found pervasive interpersonal conflicts that "have prevented" board members "from serving those roles effectively." Kaufman said his investigation determined that, with a possible exception, "all school board members ... have contributed to this dysfunction" and that the disputes have undermined the board—s operations.

The investigator delivered a factual summary of several cross-complaints and his findings on each: he did not sustain allegations of deliberate misrepresentation in a recorded meeting but flagged conduct that did not comport with the board—s "core values and norms." Board legal counsel Jim Martin advised the members that Minnesota—s open-meeting and data-practices laws require discussing the investigator—s results in public, but that identifying information for district employees must be redacted before public release. Martin said the board had several options going forward, including training, reopening mediation, censure, or pursuing removal under state law; he emphasized that releasing unredacted private data could expose the district to liability.

Kaufman acknowledged one objective factual correction requested by Director Bassett, but said other contested items were professional judgments he declined to alter. The meeting discussion that followed focused on whether to accept the report, how to handle factual disputes, and what disciplinary or restorative steps the board should take next.