WINDHAM SOUTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT
SPECIAL MEETING
DRAFT MINUTES
The Windham Southeast School District Board held a Special Meeting for an Executive Session
at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, remote-only, via Zoom.
Attendance:
Board Members present: Kelly Young, board chair (KY), Deborah Stanford (DS), Kimberly
Price (KP), Tim Maciel (TM), Eva Nolan (EN), Robin Morgan (RMO), Shaun Murphy (SM), Ruby McAdoo (RMA), Matt Schibley (MS), Anne Beekman (AB)
Board Members absent: Kimberly Price
Others present: Attorney Kendall Hoechst, Bethany Ranquist, Rei Ranquist, Kenneth Bloom, Iris Mayer
Please note: Attendance may be incomplete.
I. Call to Order
KY called the meeting to order at 6:02 and read the policy on remote meeting participation.
II. Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items
KY read the policy on public comment and what response people can expect.
Bethany Ranquist of Brattleboro commented that she found some of the comments made by board members and board candidates that were quoted in the press regarding empathy for or resilience of survivors of abuse to be disrespectful, considering the board’s silence regarding what was reported in the sexual abuse investigation. She asked that board members be more thoughtful about this and not share their thoughts about survivors if they are not going to make any further comment on the investigation. KY added that she understood this comment to be in relation to answers that board members gave to questions at the recent Candidate Forum where they were directly asked about their perspectives.
A former BAMS parent whose daughter experienced sexual assault by another student spoke about being dissatisfied with the school’s response and wanting to pursue further action. KY asked him to notify the Superintendent of this request by email and to copy herself and DS so they can initiate this process.
BUHS student Iris Mayer spoke about the same student and other peers having harmful experiences of sexual harassment and assault by other students during their time at BAMS and how they did not feel served by the school’s response to these incidents. She expressed concern about attention to students’ mental health and well-being.
BUHS student Rei Ranquist pointed out that some students have reported harm to counselors, as directed, and could not perceive that their concerns were addressed. They expressed concern that students do not feel confident that they can get help by going to their counselor.
KY thanked the students for bringing these concerns forward. She asked the students to send her their concerns via email so she can pass this information on to the superintendent, and invited them to share these perspectives with the BAMS Leadership Council. RMO acknowledged that when incidents of harassment at school happen, the school’s response is often invisible to the victim because of student confidentiality. She reviewed the chain of communication people can follow when they are dissatisfied with how something is handled at school, and offered to transmit the information shared by these students to the Leadership Council if they are not able to attend that meeting.
III. Executive Session
1VSA §313 (a)(1)(F) confidential attorney-client communications made for the purpose of providing professional legal services to the body.
DS MOVED TO FIND THAT PREMATURE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WOULD
CLEARLY PLACE THE PUBLIC BODY OR PERSON INVOLVED AT A SUBSTANTIAL
DISADVANTAGE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WILL BE A MOTION TO GO
INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1VSA §313 (A)(1)(F) CONFIDENTIAL
ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS MADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING
PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES TO THE BODY. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
DS MOVED TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1VSA §313 (A)(1)(F) CONFIDENTIAL
ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS MADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING
PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES TO THE BODY, INVITING IN KENDALL HOECHST.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The board entered executive session at 6:49.
The board rose from executive session at 8:33pm.
AB MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. ALL VOTED IN FAVOR.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:34.
Minutes submitted by Robin Morgan, WSESD Board Clerk
