Dist. 158's Snow tries, fails to demote board president

The District 158 school board is no stranger to feisty, debates that extend well beyond their allotted time. Rebuttals, counterrebuttals, accusations and interruptions are par for the course.

But board member Larry Snow thinks the board's meetings have gotten a little out of hand since the spring elections -- and he blames new board President Shawn Green.

Snow agrees with most of his colleagues that the board president has the authority to interrupt a board member if his comments are not topical to the debate at hand.

But Snow contends that Green has misused his power to shut down board members expressing opinions with which he disagrees.

"There is no authority of the board president to interrupt simply because he doesn't like the content of what is being expressed," Snow said.

To remedy this, Snow proposed Thursday that board Vice President Tony Quagliano run board meetings for the next three months -- instead of Green.

The motion was defeated handily, with only Snow and board member Aileen Seedorf voting for the idea.

Green said he has had lapses like everyone else on the board, but that he stands by his record as president.

"It is my job to step in when incorrect statements are being made," Green said, calling Snow's motion "the most political and divisive thing since I've been on the board."

Board member Kevin Gentry said it was unfair to put the blame for the frequent animosity at board meetings only on Green.

"To suggest that the president alone is accountable for our, at times, dysfunction is not appropriate," Gentry said.

Board members Kim Skaja and Jim Carlin said Green has actually made board meetings run more smoothly.

"Our board meetings have been much better in recent months," Skaja said.

Quagliano, who would have become de facto board president if Snow's motion had succeeded, didn't comment at Thursday's meeting.