District 203 Board of Education Member Melissa Kelley Black was censured by her fellow board members at a board meeting Tuesday.
The motion to censure, or officially and publicly reprimand, was 6-1, with Kelley Black as the sole vote against the motion.
According to page four of the District 203 School Board Censure Resolution, “On June 15, 2023, following Member Kelley Black’s false and disparaging comments about the Board on public and private forums and channels, the Board held its first of six (6) self-evaluations with Member Kelley Black.”
The resolution stated that during the third self-evaluation, district officials outlined five instances of recurring behavior that the document argues “violated her fiduciary duties.” The censure is outlined in the 10-page censure resolution document.
This document alleged that Kelly Black released information that “compromised the board,” as cited on page 4 of the censure resolution. It also ruled that Kelley Black was “acting as an individual communicating with the public of matters before the Board in her capacity as a Board member.” The other assertions referred to Kelley Black “compromising the Board and the administration with the divulgement of confidential and privileged information learned during closed session,” as stated on page five of the censure resolution. Moreover, the document declared that Kelley Black was censured for allegedly disregarding Board decisions and “failing to respect” board members’ opinions.
At the board meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 7, Kelley Black defended her conduct.
“I wholeheartedly disagree with the allegations and the opinions expressed,” she said in the Jan. 7 board meeting.
Kelley Black argued during the board meeting that the district did not allow her enough time to defend herself from the accusations.
Prior to the vote taking place, Kelley Black asked the board to “stay this vote until [she is] in a position to fairly defend [herself] and provide all the facts pertaining to these allegations without breaching [her] legal obligations as a School Board Member,” as documented in the livestream. The Board refuted Kelley Black’s claims of not being given proper preparation time, and the vote was taken later that meeting.
In advance of the vote, Kelley Black reiterated that she should not be censured for, in her words, “having a different perspective and different opinions than [the Board].”
“If I’m guilty of something else, please show the evidence,” Kelley Black said.
While the censure was approved by the board, the resolution specified that it would have no material effect on her duties as an elected board member. Still, the displeasure of her fellow board members was clear.
“Member Kelley Black made it clear to the Board that she will disregard the Board Policies, the Board Agreements, the IASB Code of Conduct, and principles of ethics to achieve her desired outcomes and personal interests, regardless of whether it is at the expense of the District,” the Censure Resolution Document stated.
