Board upholds administration's ban of parent from ag facilities
Dec. 16—Note: This story was updated on Dec. 16 at 6:30 a.m.
After a nearly hour-long hearing, Woodward Board of Education members voted unanimously to uphold the decision of the administration to ban a parent from the school ag facilities.
The decision came in a special meeting Thursday.
Janice Weder was the parent banned from the facilities starting with the receipt of a certified letter on Nov. 30.
Superintendent Kyle Reynolds said he had started receiving complaints from ag boosters and others about Weder up to a year and a half ago.
Reynolds provided the administration argument in the hearing, saying specific issues involved Weder following a student home and confronting student, missing hay from the ag barn that was later replaced, a complaint about not following state fair show rules at the Tulsa State Fair, and a student reporting to the FFA sponsor Rodney Washmon that he felt he had an uncomfortable conversation with her at the school farm.
Penning of cattle was another area of dispute mentioned in the meeting.
Reynolds said he, Washmon, and high school principal Ron Sunderland — who noted he had also received several complaints — met with Weder and her guest on Oct. 24 to discuss those issues and some discrepancies he had been told by other parents and teachers.
Reynolds said between that meeting and Nov. 17 he decided to issue a six-month ban to allow for "peaceful conduct of student operations."
Weder, in her statements, noted she had been active and involved in her daughter's FFA activities.
She said, "I strongly reject and deny any accusations that I made any improper comments to any student. I never at any time followed a student home. I can tell you exactly where I was (concerning the complaint.)"
Weder claimed she had permission to take hay from the ag farm as long as she replaced it and she did so.
Weder also said she wasn't aware of any difficulty at the Tulsa State Fair and was told that no rules had been broken. She said after the Oct. 24 meeting when she was made aware of supposedly doing something wrong, she contacted a Tulsa official who said there was no rules broken.
On penning of cattle, she said she paid the deposits and thought everything was fine.
Weder added that the ban was affecting her daughter, who is going up to the ag facility first thing every morning to feed animals by herself and is also working two jobs. She said her daughter is a 4.0 student.
Washmon noted that he or another FFA sponsor were usually around the facility and available for anything the students' need.
With little discussion, board members voted to uphold the ban, then adjourned.
