PRIEST RIVER — Allegations of district indifference to sexual harassment and bullying flew at the West Bonner County School District board meeting Dec. 20.

Ashley Dinwoodie spoke about allegations of sexual harrassment. She is a parent of Priest River Elementary School students and said her students have experienced sexual harrassment on the school bus. Concerns were disregarded by the school bus driver, school principal and district superintendent, she said. She asked the board to consider hiring a third party consultant to look into issues at the bus barn.

“There are numerous issues in the bus system and at the elementary school that are being swept under the rug by the administration, and I would really appreciate it to be handled so our children feel safe on all school property, which includes the buses.”

Another parent, Robin Parnell, said that last year her kids at Priest River Elementary also had issues on the school bus with a bully. Her student’s issues were disregarded by the school bus driver, even when brought up by her parent. The bus driver was terminated but then rehired months later, Parnell said. Bullies at the elementary school were supposed to have been dealt with, but whether they were or not remained a mystery to Parnell.

Former WBCSD employee Betty Gardner alleged that female district employees had been sexually harassed in the past and asked the board to do something about it.

According to Gardner, 11 female district employees filed a grievance in May 2013 citing 15 detailed examples of “a culture of fear, intimidation, harassment, and unprofessionalism” that they experienced at the hands of four then-employees at Priest River Junior High School. The grievance cited by Gardner identified sexual descriptions of female staffers, sexism, character defamation, cheating on required in-service training, racism, favoritism for athletes, and the exclusion of poor or handicapped students.

Gardner said, “The grievance was authenticated but did not appear to make any difference. No one fired, no one was moved and one of the victimizers was promoted putting him in the highest position of power over those very women he victimized.”

Gardner said that Superintendent Paul Anselmo was hired in disregard of district policies 5100 and 6100, which require superintendents to be “of good character and of unquestionable morals and integrity.”

Though she never mentioned Anselmo by name, Gardner was interrupted from reading her full statement during the school board meeting. Board chair Sandy Brower had advised the audience ahead of time that personnel issues were inappropriate for the public comment period of the meeting, per Idaho code.

When she began to read the names of the district employees who had signed the 2013 grievance, Brower interrupted Gardner. “Oh, I’m not, we’re not going to listen to that here.” After a long pause, Brower told Gardner that “This is a public meeting. It’s my meeting. You have the right for freedom of speech, but if we’re going to get into derogatory comments, I, we’re not going to hear that. We can’t. It’s against the law.”

Gardner asked, “How do you know what I’m about to say?”

“Because I read your Facebook post,” replied Brower.

Gardner said “there’s a big elephant in the room,” but Brower again stopped her short. Gardner said she had written to Brower and her letter had gone unread. Brower said she had read it, and then promptly used the gavel to rule Gardner out of order.

“How can I get your attention, if you won’t read my mail and I can’t speak in public?” Gardner asked.

Brower answered that Gardner could and had spoken in public, but that those comments were not to be heard in this meeeting. “This is my meeting. This is a board meeting. I conduct the meeting. Those comments are not going to be heard in this open meeting. It’s against Idaho code, it’s against a lot of things.”

Gardner told the audience that if anyone wanted to speak with her afterwards, she’d be available. Her offer was instantly accepted by an audience member. “Betty, please sit down,” asked Brower.

“What about the oral sex songs that my daughter was forced to listen to in her classroom?” asked one parent in the audience. Brower repeatedly gaveled her down and said such issues should be dealt with in executive session. She recessed the meeting to take a break and talk with the parent outside the meeting room.

When interviewed later, Anselmo said that he was questioned along with others in an investigation in years past.

“I was interviewed along with many teachers of the junior high. I was not privy to the results of the investigation.” While he could not answer questions specific to personnel due to legal restrictions for district employees, he added, “What I can say is that there was an investigation that was done and personnel discipline did follow. In the district’s eyes these claims by Mrs. Gardner were addressed/answered to as they arose and are at this time non-issues.”

In addition to Gardner, former employees Barbara Fournier, Vickey Huffman, Nancy Gregory, Debra Wolstrom, Janet Payment plus four others filed the May 2013 grievance.

Anselmo said the claims Gardner brought forward were handled by the district nearly 5 years ago.

“We are not sure why she is bringing them back forward,” he said.

Ken Hagman said a group of level-headed parents have been meeting, and conferring with Anselmo, to reinforce positive behaviors in the school district. The group would be meeting over coffee and was open to more members. He asked interested persons to contact him, his wife Alison, or the superintendent to learn more. State legislators Shawn Keough and Heather Scott attended the meeting as part of their annual visits to constituent bodies prior to the upcoming state legislative session.