Emails to SPS board show public reaction after vote to demote Maryam Mohammadkhani

Springfield parents and taxpayers reacted strongly to a split vote of the Springfield school board removing Maryam Mohammadkhani as vice president.

Of the 33 emails to the board between the Feb. 28 vote and spring break — recently obtained by the News-Leader through a Sunshine Law request — more than half opposed Mohammadkhani's demotion. They demanded she be exonerated and reinstated.

Others applauded the board majority for taking action, arguing her behavior was unacceptable. There was at least one call for her to resign.

Whether they were for or against the Mohammadkhani decision, a common sentiment running through nearly all the emails was frustration over the behavior of specific board members or the board as a whole, and not just at this meeting.

Several emails noted that the incident that prompted the vote, and its aftermath, may weigh on voters' minds when they go to the polls April 4 to elect two board members and decide the fate of a $220 million bond issue.

Incident at youth summit preceded removal

Five days before a 4-3 vote to oust Mohammadkhani from the board officer role she'd been in for nearly a year, she attended the Youth Empowerment Summit for Springfield high school students without notifying the district, which is standard protocol.

In a session on brain health, students with eyes closed were asked to raise a hand if they'd experienced racial trauma and the presenter declared most, if not all, had raised a hand. Mohammadkhani, from her vantage point in the back of the room, said she counted far fewer hands and made that known.

Students were upset by the disruption and reached out to the district along with summit organizers and participants including Missouri State University, Burrell Behavioral Health and the Springfield NAACP.

At the Feb. 28 meeting, board president Denise Fredrick brought up the incident at the board table. The discussion that followed was punctuated with testy exchanges, allegations, and interruptions.

"This is my 24th year teaching kindergarten in the SPS R-12 district and I believe there are a few board members who should return to kindergarten to gather some tips on kindness," wrote Tamra McHaffie, in a March 3 email.

"What I watched unfold during the board meeting on Feb. 28 was appalling (and) brought shame upon our district. We are supposed to lead by example and what a terrible example you portrayed during this meeting."

More: Where Springfield school board candidates stand on ousting Mohammadkhani from VP role

Toward the end of the discussion, board member Danielle Kincaid made a motion to remove Mohammadkhani as vice president — alleging the incident was part of a pattern — and received support from board members Fredrick, Shurita Thomas-Tate and Scott Crise.

Mohammadkhani defended her actions and said she was standing up for the truth by correcting the facilitator. She accused the facilitator of manipulating students and lying to them to "protect an agenda."

"She was standing up for our children" supporter says

Backed by board members Kelly Byrne and Steve Makoski, Mohammadkhani said the impromptu board discussion and ouster were out of order. They described it as a "public shaming."

"Shame on the board for punishing a member for telling a truth," said Sandra Grizzard, in a March 11 email. "The way this was handled you would think someone was rowdy and disrespectful. This was not the case."

In a March 5 email, Barbara Weems argued Mohammadkani was in the right.

"She was standing up for our children and you did nothing. Are you forgetting what our business is? Taking care and protecting our kids," she wrote. "My gosh, get a backbone and stand up for our children in a world that is so unbelievably upside down right now. You should be ashamed."

The same day, Sharon Montgomery wrote that she does not question the actions or motives of Mohammadkhani.

"I am disappointed in the four members that voted to remove her as VP. I do question the actions and motives of those members," she wrote.

"The effort to publicly shame and lambaste Dr. Maryam was unnecessary and revealing."

In an email, Macky Levaughn Myers said Mohammadkhani had a "First Amendment right" to question and correct the facilitator.

"Mohammadkhani was doing what she was supposed to do as an elected board member. To be attacked publicly without due process and then removed by public vote is absurd, lacking proper protocol, and ultimately kowtowing to the mob at the meeting with its own agenda," Myers wrote.

Myers said Mohammadkhani ought to be reinstated as vice president.

In a March 2 email, Ron Baker said board members have the right to witness what students are being taught. "She and any other has a right and responsibility to point out falsehoods in the teaching."

Brandon Brown implied the success of the $220 million bond issue may be at risk following the split board vote. "The collateral damage from this political stunt is unbelievable."

In the March 6 email, Brown said the incident may impact the school board race as well. He hopes the candidates elected "will keep social and political agendas out of public schools while protecting brave whistleblowers like Dr. Mohammadkhani."

In a March 2 email, Tony Stubblefield described the meeting as a joke and a waste of time. He referred to Thomas-Tate as a "racist instigator" and alleged Fredrick showed "extreme bias."

Chuck Bruton said he was disgusted by the removal of Mohammadkhani from board leadership. "The actions of the students that complained is the result of liberalism policies. I support the conservative members. The rest of you need to wake up."

Controversy over "safe spaces"

Among other things, students who spoke to the board before and during the Feb. 28 meeting said the incident disrupted what was supposed to be a supportive environment or "safe space."

Patrons also reacted to comments made by students and board members in the meeting about "safe spaces."

"For those that are so concerned with 'safe spaces,' a pathetic behavior pattern that proves to produce weak individuals incapable of being productive members of society, you certainly held one of the most hostile meetings anyone has ever seen in SPS," wrote Stephanie Sproule. "That should never have been allowed to happen the way it did."

In an email, Cynthia Erb said she was caught off-guard by comments deriding "safe spaces" during the meeting.

"Safe space can mean many things, such as a place where a student can get work done while trusting adults and a place that can be a temporarily constructed therapeutic environment," she wrote. "Categorically dismissing safe spaces, apparently on the basis of some type of partisan project, is simply destructive."

"She is not respectful of differing points of view," critic says

Days after the meeting, the outside spending group Back on Track America — which endorsed Mohammadkhani as a board candidate — urged its members to email the board that they "stand with her."

James Jeffries, a parent, said he agreed with the decision to remove Mohammadkhani from a leadership role.

"I believe a vocal group of her supporters may be flooding the board with emails supporting her but they do not represent a large portion of the community that prefer civility and respect to the divisive behavior she has brought to the board," he said.

Jeffries added: "I've watched a number of board meetings online in the past and do not appreciate her combative approach to issues in general. Her decision to take that approach to an event with students in unacceptable."

Brad and Melissa Allen, who graduated from Parkview High School and now teach, said they were disappointed that "three (board) members thought her actions were justified."

They wrote: "We were very alarmed by her actions and are very thankful for the board's quick removal of this toxic board member."

Margaret Licata said Mohammadkhani likely had an "ulterior motive" by not closing her eyes, along with students, in the session.

But she argued if the incident was part of a "repeated pattern" by Mohammadkhani, it ought to have been dealt with in private before it became part of a public meeting.

"It seems like a whole bunch of egos are being expressed here instead of focusing on how this felt to the students, the purpose of the event: Adults having their agendas based on a grievance that should be focused first on preventing this in the future," she wrote.

Angela Crawford, a parent, said it is time for Mohammadkhani to resign. "If she does not resign from this board, she will only escalate her egregious behavior because she's gotten away with it so far."

In a March 2 email, retired teacher Richard Rose said it is hard to get an accurate count of how many hands were up from the back of a room.

"Even if you had the amazing ability to know exactly how many raised their hand it was, to me, the height of arrogance for you to feel that you had the right to interrupt the meeting the way that you apparently did," he wrote. "You really need to get a filter and think about what you say before you say it or look for some other way of doing public service."

Michelle Creed, a parent, said Mohammadkhani should apologize for her actions at the summit.

"Rather than acknowledge and accept responsibility for her actions, she lashed out. Her use of the term 'hustlers peddling' is bigoted and divisive," she wrote March 8. "With that language she makes clear that she is not respectful of differing points of view and does not represent the interests of all students at SPS."

Mohammakhani "believes she deserves special treatment," parent says

Teresa Simpson, a parent, said while the specifics of what was said at the student summit amount to hearsay, it apparently had a "negative impact" on the students.

"It is admirable that Dr. Mohammadkhani wishes to be informed and involved but it is troubling that she believes she deserves special treatment, greater authority, and access to school district and facilities as a member of the school board," Simpson wrote. "While I am more involved than the average parent at my child's home school because of my executive board role on the PTA, I recognize my position does not allow me to expect or ask for special treatment from SPS administration, educators and staff."

Gloria Galanes, a professor emerita at Missouri State, commended the board majority for "doing the right thing" and alleged Mohammadkhani's actions were harmful and disrespectful of students.

"I am concerned at what I, as a member of the general public, perceive as an attack on our public school by board members who are supposed to support them," she wrote March 5. "I am also concerned at what I perceive to be inappropriate interference by board members whose role is to set policy, not to micromanage the affairs of SPS, which seems to me to be functioning very well."

Morey Mechlin, a community volunteer, described the removal as a "needed action."

"For our district to conduct business in a respected and trusted manner that serves our children and our community, our elected officials as well our administration and staff must possess a balance of vision, courage, integrity, humility and focus as well as the ability to catalyze cooperation among their team," she wrote.

"Scott Crise will be able to help lead this board and hopefully help refocus the board on its important goals rather than individual agendas."

Former school board member Annie Busch said the removal was a "brave but necessary action" in order to call out inappropriate behavior.

"To disrupt an important training session for students is bad enough but for it to have been a session with a mental health professional to help students deal with trauma makes it many times worse," Busch wrote March 6. "Board members should lead by example and focus on what is best for students, not on their own personal feelings."

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Emails to SPS board show reaction to split vote over ouster of VP