Robbinsdale School Board Investigation Reveals ‘Dysfunction and Hostility’

The week before the first day of school, the Robbinsdale Area School Board learned the results of an internal investigation – results that investigators consider dysfunctional.

A third-party firm, Red Cedar Consultants, has been hired to investigate what it calls “allegations of misconduct between board members,” some of which date back to April of this year.

According to the consulting firm and as set out in the report – the report was not available to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS upon request from the district because work to redact certain information had not yet been completed – the allegations and complaints concerned the recording of meetings without the knowledge of all those involved and offensive and derogatory comments.

It also contained what the consulting firm called “nasty emails” that were “sarcastic and very hostile.”

“All members of the school board, with the exception of the principal [Dr. Greta] Evans-Becker contributed to this dysfunction through their behavior toward one another,” Isaac Kaufman of Red Cedar Consulting told the board.

The panel’s attorney, Jim Martin, spoke harshly about the panel on Monday evening.

“I’m sorry to say that this is the most dysfunctional board I’ve ever worked with in 30, 31 years,” Martin said.

And CEO ReNae Bowman shared those concerns.

“I don’t know how to fix this. This is devastating and embarrassing,” Bowman said.

The consultant also pointed to a dispute over the race of principal Caroline Long.

“I feel like race is being used as a weapon,” Long said during the discussion. “I feel like there’s a lot of colorism on this forum, especially towards me, where people – other black women – are constantly denying that I’m a black woman,” added Director Long.

Director Sharon Brooks later responded to an interaction with Long.

“I previously called her a white woman and she corrected me and said, ‘I identify as black,'” Brooks said.

In total, there were nearly three hours of discussion and argument – ​​and the evening ended with the board expressing its formal disapproval and voting to reprimand Brooks.

“All I say to the families is, stay with us. We will make it right,” Bowman said.