Superintendent Saunders apologizes for kicking pastor out of school board meeting

The school board gathered to vote on new leadership, a routine process that happens every year, but Tuesday’s meeting had an unconventional start.

Superintendent Cynthia Saunders thanked Dave Miner for his service as chairman, and she praised all five board members for their hard work over the last year.

Then, she apologized.

“I want to apologize to the board for the incident that occurred during our last board meeting,” she said. “We must show compassion and common sense when instituting safety protocols.”

Saunders was referencing the Nov. 12 meeting, when Arthur Huggins was kicked out for quietly standing as he watched the meeting and stretched his aching back.

Huggins, a local pastor, said he was shocked by the abrupt demands and aggressive nature of Paul Damico, chief of safety and security for the school district. Damico told Huggins to remain seated, and when he refused, Damico stormed out of the board chambers and called for the help of a Bradenton police officer.

The policy — that all guests remain seated — was among several measures rolled out on Aug. 13. A vague notice was given to citizens, pointing to “safety concerns associated with school board members and/or meetings.”

“I firmly believe those protocols are necessary, not just to allow the board to conduct its business in an orderly fashion, but to ensure the safety and dignity of every person who walks in the building,” the superintendent said on Tuesday evening.

“We must combine safety with common sense, and security with compassion,” Saunders continued. “The public is welcome inside this chamber and we will do better to make sure everyone is safe, and everyone feels they are welcome.”

Last week, district attorney Mitchell Teitelbaum defended the actions of Manatee’s top security official. He said Damico was carrying out his duties by “addressing violations of security protocol,” and that Huggins was blocking the view of other guests.

“He was given the option to take a seat in the board room, or to exit the board room and watch the proceedings on a television set in the lobby of the School Support Center,” the district attorney said last week. “Mr. Huggins’ refusal to accept either reasonable request resulted in a disturbance that disrupted the school board meeting.”

In response, Huggins said he was never offered a spot in the lobby, and that he leaned against a wall — adjacent to the three people sitting behind him.

Along with the “no standing” policy, Manatee also closed the use of an overflow room, limited attendance to the number of seats in the board room, and rolled out both hand-held metal detectors and bag checks at the entrance.

However, the school board never approved those security measures, board member Charlie Kennedy said in an email to the superintendent and other district officials on Tuesday.

“Given how these protocol and behavior of board members and staff have escalated an already tense situation, I am hoping the board will take action to not only repair our public image but, most importantly, return these meetings to what are intended: meetings of the board open and welcoming to the public citizens we represent.”

The email also foreshadowed Kennedy’s motion on Tuesday evening. He hoped to discuss the security measures and either continue or suspend them, but his motion died for lack of a second.

Board member Miner proposed a similar discussion but his motion also failed.

Later in the meeting, during public comment, Huggins addressed the school board. He felt the sitting policy and other measures were carried out unevenly over the past several months — primarily affecting people of color.

“I really wanted to come here to stress the embarrassment, the humiliation and the level of aggression that I felt was taken against me,” he said.

“I can’t speak for the board, but I would like to extend my apology to you,” Kennedy responded. “I think I can make you this promise and we can fulfill it: that will never happen to you or anybody else again.”

This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 7:15 AM.