By PETER DAY
Senior Reporter
LUCERNE VALLEY • The Lucerne Valley Unified School District governing board last Wednesday voted 3-2 to censure board member Dawn Turnbull for what the majority of board members believe are inappropriate comments on Turnbull’s Facebook page.
The censure, which is expected to be formally approved at the next board meeting on April 8, serves as an official statement against recent actions by Turnbull. Board president Jim Harvey and board members Tom Courtney and Jodi Collingham voted for the move. Turnbull and new board member Carmen Fox voted against.
Turnbull recently posted several negative comments on her Facebook page about Courtney, who Turnbull alleges sexually harassed her during a meeting with former superintendent Mike Noga several years ago. Courtney, who has served on the board for nearly 20 years, has publicly acknowledged that he touched Turnbull on her buttocks when the two hugged, but that it was unintentional.
The censure is expected to address a March 4 Facebook post in which a Facebook friend of Turnbull commented, “Want me to hurt him (Courtney)?” Turnbull responded “Yes … I do.” But more elements, reflecting additional controversial statements by Turnbull, could be added to the formal resolution, according to Harvey.
"It's too early to tell," Harvey said Thursday. "We'll be consulting with the attorney."
Turnbull, who spoke frequently at Wednesday’s special board meeting, began with calm, deliberate responses to questioning by Harvey. By the end of the meeting, however, Turnbull’s comments were delivered in rapid succession and seemingly touching on several topics. At one point, the normally reserved and softspoken Collingham said, “You (Turnbull) throw out so much stuff, you confuse me.”
The meeting started with a discussion of the school board’s three appointees to the seven-member Mitsubishi Cement Corporation Education Foundation board of directors. Turnbull had served on the MCCEF board for several years but was removed at a recent board meeting. She was replaced by Courtney. School superintendent Suzette Davis and former board member Teresa Reyes are the other two school district appointees.
“I would like to stay on that board,” Turnbull said. “I’ve done a great job on that board.”
Harvey criticized Turnbull for attending an MCCEF board meeting after being taken off the MCCEF board by the school board.
“Your removal from that board was immediate,” Harvey said sternly.
“I was wrong. I apologize,” Turnbull said.
As of last Thursday, Turnbull's name was still listed as a board of director on the MCCEF website.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATION
During discussion of Turnbull’s sexual harassment allegation, Turnbull and Courtney disagreed on specific details of the initial event. Turnbull alleged that Courtney said, “Them are the kind of sports I like” after patting her on the buttocks. Courtney said he mistakenly touched her buttocks out of habit of hugging his wife but denied making the comment as Turnbull portrayed. Turnbull repeatedly offered to take a lie-detector test to support her allegations.
Harvey said Turnbull could pursue a legal course regarding her sexual harassment allegation. However, Turnbull responded, “I don’t like contacting our (school district) attorney because it costs too much money (for the district).”
Fox, who was the only other board member to vote against the censure, was critical of both the board and Turnbull for their handling of Turnbull's allegation.
“There should have been some kind of investigation at that time,” Fox said. Then, directing her comment toward Turnbull, she added, “My personal opinion is you’re using it (the allegation) as a power play.”
Turnbull had a few supporters in the standing-room-only audience at the district board room, including her father, daughter and friends. Michael Molina, a supporter and friend of Turnbull, criticized the board majority for discouraging Turnbull from asking questions.
“What I’ve observed here seems to be a good old boy system,” Molina said.
Daughter Courtney Turnbull, a senior at Lucerne Valley High School, defended her mother.
“I was not prepared for what I saw today,” she said. “I’m thoroughly disappointed. I feel it’s my duty to not only stand up for my mom but for my friend. I’m watching this and I'm thinking this really isn’t happening. You’re making the victim (her mother) feel even more like the victim.”
Afterward, Harvey commended Courtney Turnbull for sharing her thoughts.
FACEBOOK POSTS
Following Wednesday’s board meeting, Turnbull posted a comment with the heading “Backstabbing by the Superintendent Again,” which was critical of Davis.
On Thursday, Davis said that and many other assertions by Turnbull were flatly false.
Other separate posts included personal attacks on former school board member Jimmy James, Turnbull’s estranged husband and new girlfriend, Davis, Collingham, Harvey and former school board member John Buchanan.
During last Wednesday’s meeting, Buchanan said he was “appalled, befuddled and amazed” at Turnbull’s conduct at recent school board meetings.
On Thursday, both Davis and Harvey expressed alarm at Turnbull's recent posts.
"It's completely inappropriate to attack our superintendent with untruths," Harvey said. "This is outrageous for an elected person to retaliate like this after meetings. It's unfortunate that she feels she needs to take that route."
"It's so untruthful," Davis said. "There's a difference between opinion and truth. She crosses that line all over the place. It's pretty awful."
Harvey expressed disappointment that Turnbull apparently is defying board policy #9010, which clearly outlines appropriate behavior for an elected board member.
"She has a flagrant disregard for board policy," he said. "In all cases that line has been crossed quite decisively."
According to Harvey, he received correspondence from constituents who suggested the school board should remove Turnbull from office. However, that is not an option, he said.
"Some states do that, but California does not. We, the elected, are beholden to the people that elected us. The way you remove a board member is through the ballot box."
With eight weeks left in the school year, this issue, which has created tension during board meetings, serves as a distraction of the school board's key responsibility — to address the needs of its students, Davis and Harvey said.
"What does any of this have to do with serving the 750 students of our district?" Harvey asked.
"We have so much work to take care of in a small district," Davis said.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8 at the Lucerne Valley High School Library.