UPDATED: BOE Responds to Gardner Charges Bias in Search Committee Member Selection

Editor's note: Board of Education member Shelley Gardner submitted the following email she sent to the Board of Education to be run as an opinion piece on Groton Patch.

To the Board of Education,
 
I am requesting that my name officially be removed from the Superintendent Search Committee. I believe at least two members on this committee were chosen from the personal bias of the Chair and some Board of Education members and does not demonstrate an impartial selection from the community. In my effort to remain transparent I cannot proceed as a member of this committee. I believe that the public should be aware of why individuals were chosen. I am completely disillusioned by my fellow Board members mentioned above and the pretense of a fair selection when none occured. 
 
Shelley Gardner

UPDATE: 

The following is from BOE Chair Kirsten E. Hoyt and represents an emailed response to the board. 

Fellow BOE members,What was delivered tonight was the initial list of members interested in being on the search committee.  The list is based on the BOE’s initial discussion at the beginning of the process in which we requested that constituents be selected by their respected groups and by those who were interested.  The process was followed and all names were included.  This list is on hold pending further discussion with the selected Search Firm at the end of the month as they had a process which was different than our original discussions and may result in different committee groupings.  

Ms. Gardner,Your concerns are duly noted and as requested you will be removed from the committee.  

Sincerely,
Kirsten Hoyt
Chair, BOE