Another stain on the image of schools in Brookfield

Another stain on the image
of schools in Brookfield

EDITOR:

I am a 2001 alumnus of Brookfield High School and a graduate student at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, Ind. Although I may be hours from home, my father has been clipping articles from my hometown newspapers and sending them to me. In reading these articles, I can only be disheartened by the bad publicity my alma mater has been receiving. One such article, “District waits to decide arrested worker’s fate,” caught my attention, and I was compelled to write this editorial.

In the article, it reads that school board president Joe Pasquerilla and the maintenance supervisor interviewed Frank Baker. During the interview, Baker disclosed that he had been terminated from Warren City Schools because he had allegedly taken some scrap metal. I say allegedly because he is innocent until proven guilty (this topic would be for another editorial). However, the issue is not whether he took the scrap metal, the issue is why didn’t the disclosed information raise red flags for Pasquerilla and the maintenance supervisor who conducted the interview.

Think about it, if someone disclosed that type of information to you as the interviewer, wouldn’t you want to see if the interviewee was being honest? Wouldn’t that peak your interest, and wouldn’t you want to do some digging? Wouldn’t you as the interviewer call Warren City School District and find out what was going on? Wouldn’t the interviewer go to the Warren Police Department to see if a police report was filed under Frank Baker’s name? We have such privileges in Ohio because we have the Sunshine Law which allows citizens to inspect public records. Therefore, why wasn’t there due diligence in protecting students of Brookfield Local School District? I just don’t think enough was done, and we have to do more for the students. We owe them the right to know who is in their schools.

My next point, where was the background check for Frank Baker? I understand that Frank Baker may have little interaction with students on a daily basis, but that doesn’t give the board the right to circumvent the vetting process of candidates. I am assuming that if a background check was ordered; wouldn’t his felony arrest be shown? Lastly, what if Baker was arrested for a different felony? Would the Brookfield board of education be taking a wait and see approach? Something just doesn’t add up.

I support Ronald Brennan’s NO vote and position of board member Ronda Bonekovic. According to the article, she wants this situation to be cleared up, and I wholeheartedly agree. We don’t need any more bad publicity as it is, and we owe the students of Brookfield Local School District better!

J.D. FORD

Hammond, Ind.

U.S. infrastructure crumbles
as military rebuilds Iraq

EDITOR:

First, let me say that my heart cries out for the people of the Twin Cities due to the collapse of the Interstate 35 bridge.

There has been a lot of talk about fixing our infrastructure, which is in total disarray all over the country. Now as if they didn’t have enough troubles, George W. Bush has promised to come to Minneapolis and have the government help. The last time he promised to help was after Katrina. Look where that led.

Right now the federal government spends over $400 a minute on that fiasco called Iraq. We’ve rebuilt their electric grid, while our systems go down the toilet. I know how to get New Orleans fixed and the bridge fixed. All we have to do is tell Bush and Cheney that there is oil under them.

WILLIAM D. TOOHEY Sr.

Boardman