The latest meeting of the Clark County School Board lost any sense of decorum Thursday night, as board members repeatedly took verbal shots at one another.
The seven-member panel was scheduled to discuss the process for selecting an interim replacement for Superintendent Jesus Jara, who was fired at the board’s previous meeting. Jara was not present at last night’s session.
Multiple board members continued their tactic of verbally attacking one another during meetings, heightening tensions among the board, which has one employee.
“How embarrassing. I am a teacher in the district, and I have to explain what happened here,” said an audience member, who spoke to board members from the podium at the front of the room. “If my students acted this way in my classroom… there would be a discussion with their parents.”
Another audience member told board members: “Everyone in this room needs to grow up and stop attacking the community.”
Remarks delivered by several board members persisted throughout the discussion, creating an awkward tension that filled the room. At one point, School Board President Linda Cavazos appeared to have lost control of the proceedings and was clearly troubled by the scene.
Typically, school district police stand at the front of the boardroom to protect board members and district officials from potential incidents.
“It breaks my heart” to see this board act this way, said community activist Kamilah Bywaters. “You guys need to move forward with your job.”
Dave Berns, producer, Nevada Public Radio
