The events of the past week have been challenging for our Wilson community as many people have been personally affected by the hurtful comments made during the November 7 board meeting. At the Special Board Meeting held on Monday, November 14, 2022, the board passed a resolution that publicly censures Mr. Mike Martin, removes him from all board committees, and removes him from his role as board treasurer. Mr. Martin attended the meeting and issued a public apology for his comments. The board nor the administration has the authority to remove Mr. Martin from his board position based on this current situation. He did not submit his resignation at the conclusion of the meeting. As a District, we again want to state that we are committed to building a community where everyone feels safe, valued, and appreciated for their unique contributions. We do not accept or condone racist, hateful, or discriminatory comments about any individual or group. Our team remains committed to creating a place where all students love to learn, and all members of our community love to live.
The following FAQ is designed to help provide clarity regarding the actions taken by the Wilson School Board at the conclusion of the special meeting held on Monday, November 14, 2022.
Can the board or administration remove a board member based on the situation that occurred during the November 7, 2022 meeting? No. Neither the board nor the administration has the legal authority to remove a board member based on the current situation.
How can the board member be removed from office? In this current situation, the board member must resign of their own free will. They can resign at any time during their term.
At the November 14, 2022 meeting of the Wilson School Board, a resolution was approved. What does that resolution mean? The Board approved a resolution that called for the public censure of Board Member, Michael Martin, which includes opposing Mr. Martin’s comments, calling for him to apologize and making clear the comments were not on behalf of the board, publicly censuring him, removing him as Board Treasurer and from board committees, requesting he resign from the Board and re-affirming its commitment that all members of the Wilson community shall be free from discrimination.
What does “public censure of a Board Member” mean? A censure is an official reprimand and statement of disapproval. While it is a serious action, censure does not serve to remove a director from the board, nor does it serve to restrict the director’s powers and authority they have as a member of the board.
Does the censure mean that a board member can no longer speak at a board meeting? No, it does not. The board member still has the right to vote and speak at the board meeting on agenda and non-agenda items.
What will happen at the November 21, 2022 board meeting? Because the resolution called for the removal of Mr. Martin from the role of treasurer, there will be an election of a new treasurer to replace him in that role.