Community defends Sunol superintendent that defied school board

Alameda County superintendent of schools warns Sunol board not to create "fiscal crisis" for itself; Hayward's St. Rose Hospital is nearly flatlining; San Leandro turns down more surveillance cameras.

Sunol school boardmembers Linda Hurley and Ryan Jergensen at Wednesday’s special meeting. PHOTOS/Steve Tavares

COUNTY NEWS

SUNOL USD

—HEATED DEBATE RETURNS—A week after the Sunol Glen school board voted to establish a new flag policy that members of the LGBT community said was intended to deny the Pride flag from being flown on school property, comes another controversy to the small unincorporated Alameda County hamlet.

—A special meeting called by the Sunol Glen school board for Wednesday afternoon included a closed session item regarding a dismissal, potentially of Sunol Glen Superintendent Molleen Barnes, who defied the board at a meeting last week and urged them to remove the flag policy from its agenda.

Clockwise from top left: Sunol Glen school boardmembers Ryan Jergensen and Linda Hurley; Sunol teachers speaking in defense of the superintendent; empty chair belonging to Sunol Superintendent Molleen Barnes; Sunol Glen school.

—No announcement was made out of closed session late Wednesday afternoon.

—Sunol Glen school board Chair Ryan Jergensen would not confirm whether the closed session agenda item was connected to Barnes’ employment.

—Barnes, though, was noticeably absent from Wednesday’s special meeting, which was noticed 24-hours in advance.

—Ted Romo, the Sunol school boardmember who opposed the flag policy, was also missing on Wednesday. It’s unclear whether Romo’s absence was due to the meeting’s short noticing or in protest.

—Jergensen said the closed session items appear on every agenda and are essentially placeholders to allow the school board to freely speak on a number of issues.

—“People are stirring it up,” Jergensen told the East Bay Insiders. “We have activists stirring our community up.”

Opponents of Sunol Glen school board Chair Ryan Jergensen ran for the exits after he attempted to read a statement at the conclusion of Wednesday’s special meeting.

—Critics of Jergensen said on Wednesday that a separate agenda item to explore the possibility of hiring new legal counsel is example of the first-term school boardmember’s pique. Jergensen had several disagreements last week with the school board’s counsel.

—Last week’s meeting was a contentious affair and it led Jergensen to instruct Alameda County sheriff’s deputies to clear the room in order to allow the meeting to continue.

—On Wednesday, the room again cleared, but at the volition of those in attendance. At the conclusion of the meeting, Jergensen began to read a prepared statement that amounted to a criticism of political discourse in society.

—However, just a few sentences into the statement, attendees who oppose Jergensen quickly exited the room, forcing him to deliver his remarks to a nearly empty room.

MORE INSIDE:

• COUNTY NEWS: Alameda County superintendent advocates for embattled Sunol superintendent

• County supes give St. Rose Hospital a $5m lifeline as the facility’s solvency is again questioned

• CITY NEWS: San Leandro City Council approved 41 surveillance cameras last year, but 41 is enough for now

• San Leandro mayor is willing to sacrifice privacy for public safety