Carla Westin Brown

07/07/2014 All Public Comments
[00:04:08] – Carla Westin Brown
I come before you again to express my concern about the bullying, harassment and unprofessional treatment I received at Redan Middle School during the 2011-2012 school year. The hostile work environment and the failure of the DeKalb County School District to handle this matter.
You all have not only covered up and allowed this particular principal’s poor leadership and ill behavior, but you participate in and cover up the same behaviors by other administrators and the area superintendents who condone this behavior.
For example, CJ and four other teachers from SW DeKalb were reassigned at the end of the school year. Why? Because she dared to speak out. She dared to bring the unacceptable sub par leadership at SW DeKalb to your attention in a public forum at the May 2014 board meeting. The reassignment of these teachers is clearly an act of retaliation.
You depend on your area superintendents to resolve these issues, but you can’t rely on them because they’re all in bed together. They are friends and family and will protect their own. They tell you that they resolved the issue, but that just means they participated in another cover up.
Additionally, the Director of the Office of Internal Affairs/Legal Affairs, is a huge part of the problem. He addresses the cases he chooses and literally ignores the others. Outright refusing to grant level 1 hearings and denying due process. This is a violation of board policy and state laws and guidelines. He’s double dipping. His serving as a Georgia State Senator is a conflict of interest. He’s making the laws that govern the school district. Law makers should not be law breakers.
When are you going to stop this behavior? You are the new superintendent and board. We expect more from you. I ask you today that this be the last day that you overlook the bullying, harassment, hostile work environment and retaliation, personal vendettas, and numerous other ill behaviors from the principals, area superintendents and Director of the Office of Internal Affairs.
With the many challenges presented in the classroom today, teachers need the support of their administrators. Teachers need your support. We need to all remember this is the DeKalb County School District. We must all put students first. There is a climate of rotteness and a culture of complacency in the DeKalb County School District.
Mr Thurmond, you once stated that everyone can lay one brick when discussing bridging the gap between North and South DeKalb. I want to challenge you to lay the first brick. That is the brick of integrity. Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right. Theodore Roosevelt, I will remain positive, professional, persistent and present until you do the right thing. I won’t back down.
[Clapping from the audience]