Update: Cheatham resigned from the Bentonville School Board on Monday, Aug. 10.
Original Story
BENTONVILLE -- A heated exchange between two School Board members at Monday's meeting ended with one of them walking out, leaving the board without the quorum necessary to conduct business remaining on the agenda.
The argument between board president Travis Riggs and Wendi Cheatham came after Riggs explained to the public a report from Marshall Ney, the School District's attorney, had been removed from the agenda at the insistence of another board member. That board member, whom he didn't name, threatened not to attend Monday's meeting if the report wasn't removed, he said.
Audit spat
Bentonville School Board members Travis Riggs and Wendi Cheatham have butted heads in the past. In May, Riggs criticized Cheatham for seeking a special financial audit of the district without informing other board members in advance. Cheatham, through an attorney, had sought state Sen. Bart Hester’s help in requesting the state perform an audit. Hester later declined the request.
Source: Staff report
Ney's report, which had to do with implications of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage, had been on the meeting agenda released Friday. Riggs apologized for the last-minute change.
"Basically we were held hostage and had to remove that from the agenda tonight for one board member who would not show up and therefore we would not have a quorum to have a meeting," Riggs said. "I had to make a decision in order to run this meeting and get business taken care of that we needed to be taken care of."
Three of the board's seven members -- Rebecca Powers, Matt Burgess and Grant Lightle -- confirmed last week they would miss the meeting.
Just as Riggs was about to call for an executive session, Cheatham spoke up.
"It was not just me. There were several board members who asked that report be delayed," Cheatham said.
Cheatham also noted Ney wasn't going to be at the meeting and there would have been no opportunity to ask him questions. She said she had given Superintendent Michael Poore specific reasons why she felt it would be inappropriate for her to attend the meeting if the report had been on the agenda.
"Because I felt like I had asked and I was not given a reason why (Ney's report) could not be delayed," Cheatham said. "So if you have a problem with that, that's fine. You sit here and choose to once again embarrass me."
"I didn't put your name out there," Riggs said.
The argument quickly escalated from there. Riggs said even if the three absent board members had requested the report be delayed, that's not a majority of the board.
"And I don't know of any other time we've totally modified the agenda for those types of reasons," Riggs said. "Secondly, you held us hostage, plain and simple. You threw a fit when you weren't getting your way and you said, 'I will not show up if this is on the agenda tonight.' That is totally disrespectful of this administration and this board."
"Your behavior is disrespectful," Cheatham said, as she got up to leave.
Riggs continued, saying she had an obligation as a board member to discuss the tough issues just as much as the easy issues.
"And if you will refuse to do your duty, why don't you resign from this board," he said.
Cheatham then accused Riggs of bullying her.
"I'm not being a bully," Riggs said.
"Oh my gosh," Cheatham said, before leaving the room.
Riggs called for an adjournment, acknowledging the board could take no additional actions without a quroum.
The board was about to enter an executive session to consider a slate of personnel recommendations from the administration, including the hiring of 24 people and the transfers of 11 more within the district. The board likely will hold a special meeting some time next week to consider the recommendations, Riggs said.
"Some of these people might be moving in from out of state or out of town, and for all they know, they don't have a job," Riggs said, when contacted Tuesday.
Poore said he wasn't certain whether the delay in approval of his recommendations would have any practical effects on the district or the people involved.
Three of the people whose hirings are pending are potential teachers at one of the district's elementary schools on the nontraditional calendar. Their new school year starts Aug. 3.
The exchange between Riggs and Cheatham was recorded by at least two audience members. Both recordings were shared with the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Ney's report was expected to address the same-sex marriage issue and what impacts it would have on the district's Equal Employment Opportunity policy. The board has been debating altering the policy so employees could not be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Cheatham said Tuesday she has no intention to resign from the board. She left because she couldn't tolerate the way Riggs was treating her, she said.
"I just decided I'm not going to sit in a meeting anymore where I feel like I'm going to be bullied and intimidated," she said.
Her effort to delay the report was merely to allow every board member to participate in an important conversation, she said.
"I'm not trying to pick one side or the other. I honestly had the best of intentions," Cheatham said.
Cheatham provided a string of emails detailing communication she said took place among board members and Poore about the meeting and Ney's report. Time stamps on the emails indicate the email conversation happened between Thursday and Monday. Several board members took part.
Cheatham, on Friday night, wrote to Poore saying she felt uncomfortable attending Monday's meeting because of Poore's plan to present Ney's report.
"I indicated that I would prefer to have the item removed from the agenda, but I understand it is your decision and you've chosen to move forward with the report," Cheatham wrote. "Given how divisive this issue has been, I feel that this is an issue that should be taken up and resolved with all board members present."
She reiterated her position in an email she sent Saturday morning, writing, "If we are going to debate and, ultimately, vote on this issue, it should be done in an honest and transparent way with the full board present. As (board member Rebecca Powers) points out, there is no deadline for this matter. It can easily be delayed until the next full board meeting on Aug. 17th."
Poore responded there was no intent to take action concerning the district's Equal Employment Opportunity policy and his intention was to make a recommendation at a meeting next month.
"I believe your refusal to participate and not execute your responsibility as a Board member has a negative outcome," Poore wrote on Sunday. "It undermines the credibility of the Board. Consider, if other Board members took this same approach on future controversial issues. Consider also that we have an agenda that impacts day to day operations as well as future direction.
"The ability of the District to move forward with this monthly meeting is at your mercy. If you will not reconsider by 9:00 tomorrow morning I will notify the press, the staff and the Board that the meeting was cancelled by your refusal to attend," Poore wrote.
Cheatham responded, in part: "My point of view is very clear: I will attend the meeting if you will simply delay presenting Marshall Ney's report and recommendation about the EEO policy until the board meeting on Aug 17. There is no time pressure on this report and it deserves to be heard by all board members so that they may ask questions when you present it. If the meeting is cancelled, it will be due solely to your refusal to delay this report."
Dave Perozek can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWADaveP.
NW News on 07/15/2015