Below is a quote from an AJC article regarding Sarah Copelin-Wood's meddling in the Citizen's Advisory Committee this past April.
Board member accused of interfering, injecting race into DeKalb closings debate
The DeKalb County school closings process was derailed by a board member telling task force members how to vote, pitting schools against each other and charging racism is a factor, one task force member said.
Citizens Planning Task Force member Marcia Coward said she is filing a complaint against board member Sarah Copelin-Wood with the board and the superintendent.
“I know that Sarah Wood made phone calls and pitted one school against the other in her own district. I think that’s very wrong,” Coward said Saturday. “She’s supposed to represent all of the schools in her district.” . . .
Chairman Tom Bowen said the school board will review the complaint, but he said no board members were supposed to be involved in the task force.
Now - I sadly remind you of the emails between Bowen and Wood after this complaint was filed. (These emails were distributed to many people by Sarah herself.)
-----Original Message-----
From: "SARAH COPELIN-WOOD"
Date: Tue, 04 May 2010 16:34:11
To: ; THOMAS BOWEN
Cc: < schoolsandcommunity@yahoo.com >
Subject: Your Reference To Me In Article In AJC
May 4, 2010
Hello Tom,
Please address your comments, according to the AJC, in the AJC, I have attached it below for your information:
Discussion about school ethics legislation comes as District 3 board member Sarah Copelin-Wood, who is up for re-election, faces an ethics complaint. She is accused of meddling in the school closure process by directing members of the Citizens Planning Task Force how to vote.
"The complaint against Wood is pending and will be addressed after the board finalizes its budget, Bowen said."
Sarah Copelin-Wood, Board Member
DeKalb Board of Education - District 3
----- Original Message -----
From: bowent7522@att.blackberry.net Tuesday, May 04, 2010 4:58:28 PM
Subject: Re: Your Reference To Me In Article In AJC
To: SARAH COPELIN-WOOD
I was asked the status and I said the board had not had any time to discuss it given all we had going on with the budget and other things.
My preference is to not take it on at all and let it go away. It will be a bunch of he said, she said. Only thing we could do is add to the policy on citizen committees but that would just attract more attention.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: "SARAH COPELIN-WOOD"
Date: Tue, 04 May 2010 17:22:38
To: ; THOMAS BOWEN
Cc: < schoolsandcommunity@yahoo.com >
Subject: Fwd: Re: Your Reference To Me In Article In AJC
May 4, 2010
Hello Tom,
Thank you for your expeditious response. After reading the article, I was interested to know if there is a pending investigation by the DeKalb School Board regarding me.
Thank you very much,
Sarah Copelin-Wood, Board Member
DeKalb Board of Education - District 3
(404) 371-1490
- Original Message -----
From: bowent7522@att.blackberry.net Tuesday, May 04, 2010 5:32:27 PM
Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Your Reference To Me In Article In AJC
To: SARAH COPELIN-WOOD
No investigation and nor do I want one. Especially now that we changed the plan with the four schools and we aren't going to use the findings anyway.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
===
I always thought Tom was the one who could be trusted. But as these emails show, in his desperation, he is all too willing to mislead the press, allowing the public to believe that an investigation will occur, while behind the scenes, reassuring his fellow board member that he will protect her - regardless of what he told the press.
I think this is truly the most disappointed I've been in quite some time.
