WAS IT A COUP? POWER MOVE? Or NORMAL PROCEDURE BY ALAMOGORDO SCHOOL BOARD?  SERIES PART 5

In trying to understand what is going on with the school board a review of the APS School Board meeting videos and conversations with attendees was required. In searching online there were two articles reporting on the meeting but no videos of the meeting were available online. The assessment follows.

On June 26, 2021, Jarrett Perry announced his retirement as Superintendent of APS effective December 17, 2021, due to the requirement placed on him for instituting transgender bathrooms and sports. Also, he was not in favor of the incoming curriculum in relation to Critical Race Theory (CRT).

Ken Moore, Principal of Alamogordo High School, was immediately selected as Acting Superintendent upon the recommendation of Perry. Perry appreciated Moore’s work at the high school and found him to be easy to work with.

Dissatisfaction was mounting in the community regarding the implementation of CRT teaching and transgender sports and bathrooms. This in turn placed pressure on the school board to intervene in order to continue this path or agenda.

At the Alamogordo School Board meeting on August 18, 2021, of which there is no video of the meeting, the minutes did not contain the actual actions that occurred. According to Pinon Post, there was an agenda item of “Election of Officers,” plural. However, only one office was voted on – President. Angela Cadwallader, President of the APS School Board, was prematurely removed in a surprise action by 3 other members of the board: Rabon, Sherwood, and Teweleit. This was 5-6 months premature. See Policy. According to the article in Alamogordo Town News, Cadwallader, knowing the policy, asked how they could make that move. That’s when the attorney, waiting on the phone in the school board room, stated they could. Sounds pre-arranged. Anthony Torres, attending by phone, called the discussion “unethical” and “wanted to table the item.” The article continues to state, “…this change does appear that it had been discussed prior to the meeting and that there was a collaboration among the three school board members. That does lead to an ethics question and one for the people of New Mexico and Alamogordo.” Pinon Post reported, “Despite boos and much opposition from the audience at the meeting, Rabon repeatedly told the attendees to quiet down as she took the president’s chair.” “The crowd was furious,” Apparently, now President Rabon, was unmoved by the “input” of the rather large overflowing room of attendees. She was a woman on a mission….Accomplished.

Alamogordo Town News continues, “In California and in 28 other states there is a rule on the books called the Brown Act. That act is a version of the Sunshine Laws that prevents members of an elected body from having discussions with more than one other member of an elected body in private, so as to not have collusion or a usurping of power without sunshine and public dialog. New Mexico has the Open Meetings Act. What one witnessed at the school board meeting on the 18th appears to have been a coordinated and preplanned effort, especially since the attorney was on standby for dialog.” According to the New Mexico Attorney General’s office, this type of action is worthy of investigation. incident The New Mexico Attorney General’s office is the agency to report such infractions at 505-490-4060 or online at Home – New Mexico Attorney General (nmag.gov)

Cadwallader was an advocate for choice in mask-wearing, against Critical Race Theory and transgender athletes in girls’ sports. Title IX was passed to give girls a level playing field and the ability to encourage and increase the number of girls competing in a growing number of sports. It appeared the involvement of transgender athletes would dilute the very thing that had been hard fought to achieve. Alamogordo Public Schools has a Title IX officer to protect this right…Ms Tagle.

Many people who attended were shocked at this move and were not in agreement with the method or timing of this “vote.” Since there was an attorney available on the phone for this maneuver by the three board members, why was the attorney not made available to ALL board members? Absolutely does not pass the smell test. Who was the attorney? Who was paying for the attorney’s time? If the attorney were on retainer by Alamogordo Public Schools, he should have been made available to ALL board members before and during this “takeover.” Was the attorney paid by the 3 school board members” Why was this attorney on a phone guiding the actions on a preplanned action? How is this appropriate?

After Rabon moved into Cadwallader’s chair the agenda moved to a request, described as a “weak plea” to Governor Lujan to “keep parents’ and students’ choices in mind when giving New Mexico Public Education Department guidelines.”

Could this also have had an influence on the surprise action by the 3 board members –?

At the meeting on 8/12/21, the Otero County Commissioners approved Resolution #08-12-21/110-02, affirming resolute opposition to the promotion of race or sex stereotyping. Commissioner comments: Marquardt – “We seem to be going backwards and now they want to divide us by race. Critical Race Theory is separating children in schools and causing division.” Griffin – “Critical Race Theory separates people by race, color, sexual orientation and victimizes through the separation.”

In hindsight, did the direction of the Alamogordo Public School Board and Superintendent change that night? Retrospectively, it appears that it did. Additional information coming in future articles. After reading, you can determine for yourself.

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