Kennedale student demands superintendent’s apology for being ‘called out’ at meeting
A Kennedale High School senior sent an email to Superintendent Chad Gee demanding he apologizes for ordering her to put her phone away while she was livestreaming a public board meeting.
Madison Fail wrote she was “embarrassed” when the meeting was stopped.
“I was embarrassed when you stopped the meeting to call me out about livestreaming last (Thursday) night. I would like you to apologize to me and send out a statement to students notifying them of the date and time of the next board meeting and that they are allowed to record if they would like to. If not, I will file a complaint with the district.”
Fail, 17, said she went to the school board meeting to speak to trustees about an online petition she helped organize last month asking the district to require masks at all times, even when students can social distance.
After she finished speaking, Fail said the superintendent gave a report on the first day of in-person learning, which was Thursday. One of the trustees expressed concerns about students coming to school and what will happen with capacity in the classrooms.
Fail said that is when she began livestreaming the meeting on her Instagram account, and Gee stopped the meeting and told her to put her phone away.
The video of the Sept. 24 school board meeting was posted to the district’s Youtube channel on Saturday.
About 16 minutes into the video, Gee said, “Miss Fail, will you put your phone away please?”
Fail said, “I can’t livestream this?”
“No, you cannot,” Gee said.
The superintendent told Fail that the meeting was being recorded and that the district does not livestream. Fail responded that her family members wanted to watch the school board meeting.
According to the Texas Open Meetings Act, “A person in attendance may record all or any part of an open meeting of a governmental body by means of a recorder, video camera, or other means of aural or visual reproduction.”
“I was quite embarrassed. I was frustrated as well I was worried that by him calling me out he would discredit what I had to say,” Fail said.
Gee did not respond to an interview request from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and the school district does not livestream its meetings because there are fewer than 10,000 students, said Mandy Rabalais, a spokeswoman for the district.
“We are just following what the governor’s orders have to say. If you are able to social distance, you don’t have to wear a mask,” she said.
Students can choose to wear a mask at all times, she said.
Rabalais explained that the district’s policy on masks mirrors Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order. But Fail said she does not feel safe attending her classes because of the current policy, and she chose virtual instruction. However, she said she must attend her choir class in person where students wear face shields.
Fail, who is pursuing a career in law and politics, said she hopes that the superintendent will apologize to her by Tuesday.
This story was originally published September 28, 2020 at 5:45 AM.