DR. VARLEY, HIGH PRICED ATTORNEYS AND THE ANGRY SIX vs. SAI AKIRI

Merely weeks after being elected, Ms. Akiri attempted to fulfill one of her primary campaign promises on accountability and transparency by encouraging the BOE to follow their policies on interviewing an attorney-something the District has failed to do in almost two decades. Many residents were disgusted by the actions of the current firm for the following reasons:

1) Their defense of the District’s disregard for the law last year which led to a finding by the state against the District.

2) The lack of protest on the part of the firm when the former BOE president called out residents in mischaracterizing a settlement with the Union County Prosecutors Office for Open Public Meetings Act violations. Yet these same attorneys continue to interject in meetings when BOE members ask about the budget.

 3) As per Dr. Varley’s report, supporting the decision to hire her family member for a job she carved from the corpse left by the reconfiguration process .

After the meeting, what the email compilation below will demonstrate, or did to me at least:

1) The law firm spent hours of time reviewing the meeting, during which Sai asked the BOE to have the District follow its own policy in interviewing firms.

2) The law firm then sent an email not only mischaracterizing Sai’s comments but, incredibly, advised that she should not vote on the matter. In other words, blocking the BOE representative they believed would not vote to continue giving money to them for what many feel were and still are foolish decisions.

3) Instead of supporting Sai, the BOE Angry Six deflect from Sai’s questions to Dr. Varley, shielding her from answering questions about the Attorney’s letter and then proceed to make the argument that Sai is violating OPMA. Gaslighting Sai in a pile-on with a complete misunderstanding of OPMA. These are the same people that violated OPMA last year and probably did so again this year in the completely inaccurate letter Mr. D’Aquila and Ms. Penna wrote on behalf of the “Angry Six”.

4) In the email, Sai indicates reaching out to a state entity to confirm that not only were the Attorney’s actions likely improper, but so was Dr. Varley’s actions in sending it out to the entire BOE – yet again, despite this, Mr. Hyman and other members of the Angry Six persist in gaslighting Sai.

Remember:

• Sai had only been in the BOE position for three weeks.

• Asked for the BOE to follow its own policy on hiring attorneys.

• The very attorneys this may have impacted interject to review the meeting (likely on the District’s dime) to present a wildly convoluted argument that Sai would not be able to vote on this.

• The superintendent sends this strange exercise in creative writing to ALL BOE Members. 

• When Sai questions Dr. Varley directly (after consulting with the state), BOE members and Ms. Kot proceed to gaslight Sai and pile on.

• These attorneys and BOE members have now filed ethics charges through motions many in the community feel were improper and probably illegal – as the BOE Attorney cannot pursue charges against the person they were hired to defend. BOE Members are not permitted to file ethics charges as a Board. Yet the District is paying Attorneys to go after the BOE Member that wanted to follow the policy on Attorneys.

Dr. Varley initially argued that District must keep the firm for the teacher’s contract negotiations and pending cases. What we know now and did not know then (neither did Sai, apparently) was that the attorneys were also in the middle of defending Dr. Varley on the nepotism charges filed with the SEC.

So when you see members of the Angry Six or Dr. Varley post memes about anti-bullying – like those posts. Those are good messages….but ask them to lead by example.

Copy of Emails