The entire school board for the Oakley Union Elementary School District resigned after they made disparaging remarks about parents during a Zoom meeting.
The board members did not realize the meeting was open to the public and started discussing criticism they had received on social media from parents in the district.
"Are we alone?" one board member, Kim Beede, asks before saying, "B---- if you're going to call me out, I'm going to f--- you up."
The school board president, Lisa Brizendine, then insinuated that parents only want in-person schooling to return is because they view schools as babysitting services.
"They forget that there's real people on the other side of those letters that they're writing," Brizendine said. "It's really unfortunate that they want to pick on us because they want their babysitters back."
Another board member, Richie Masadas, then claimed that some parents only want their kids back in school so they can smoke marijuana.
"I totally hear that because my brother had a delivery service for medical marijuana, and the clientele were parents with their kids in school."
"When you got your kids at home, no more smoking," he added.
Beede then realized that the meeting was not private and that members of the public were watching.
"Uh oh," Beede said. "We have the meeting open to the public right now."
The video was uploaded to YouTube, and the board members tendered their resignations following a public outcry.
"This was a difficult decision, but we hear the community's concerns, and we believe yielding to your request that we step down will allow the District to move forward. Please do not let our failure in judgement cast a shadow on the exceptional work that our teachers, administrators, and hard-working employees are doing for the students of this District. They deserve and will need your support as you move forward," Superintendent Greg Hetrick said in a statement.
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