Rallies over whether schools should reopen sooner rather than later are reflective of the continued polarization in the San Dieguito Union High School District right now.
The teacher’s union opposed the board's appointment of Ty Humes to fill a vacant board seat, in favor of a special election. The union is backing an effort to get trustee Michael Allman recalled. The union is now asking the district to investigate whether board president Maureen "Mo" Muir lives in the district, a request the union made after it first hired its own private investigator to follow her.
“It just kind of indicates the levels of misconduct that we believe the school board is engaged in,” said Duncan Brown, the president of the San Dieguito Faculty Association.
Brown said the union hired a professional company to investigate the residency before making the request.
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“That is union tactics from the Teamsters in Detroit, it does not belong here,” said Michael Allman, the trustee who is subject to the recall effort.
Allman said the union does not like anyone who disagrees with it and is accustomed to having the majority backing on the board.
"Put this behind us and let’s move on," Allman said. "Duncan Brown doesn’t want to; he wants a board that is under his control. That’s the story.”
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Brown said this is not about getting its own people on the board, but rather it is about honest relationships with the board.
“You have disagreements, you know the foundation is strong enough, and you are able to come back to the table. That’s what we had before.” Brown said he does not believe the union can have an honest relationship with the current board.
Both sides said they would like to move forward as the new school year approaches.
But can they?
"I think so, I know I can,” Allman said. "I thought … this was behind us. I’m ready to move on, reach out to the teachers, we got a new school year starting. How can we do that when Mr. Brown ambushes me in the dark to shove a recall notice in my face?”
Brown said with regard to Allman, “There is so much that has happened, that's going to be a tough one.”
As for Mo Muir, Brown said, do an investigation into her residency, and see where it leads. Voters will decide who will fill the vacant seat.
“I don’t think it is a hurdle that we can’t get to because, in all the years that I’ve been associated with the Association, that has been the relationship that we’ve had. I would very much like to be back," Brown said.
