Callaghan’s support of Bennett dismays BOE

The Board of Education expressed their dismay with Peter Callaghan, Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s press secretary, for expressing the governor’s support for BOE teacher representative Ambrose Bennett without getting their side first in the continuing acrimony between Bennett and the board.

“We are disappointed that your public information officer has already stated your support for Mr. Bennett before hearing from us and the teachers that Mr. Bennett claims to represent,” the board said in a May 5 letter sent to Babauta.

The board’s letter to the Office of the Governor also outlined its unanimous recommendation to rescind the post occupied by Bennett.

BOE chair Roman Benavente, vice chair Dino Jones, secretary and treasurer Marja Lee Taitano, board members Frances Diaz, Herman Guerrero and Scott Norman signed the petition.

The letter stated that the board collectively agreed during their special board meeting on April 27 to formally ask for Bennett’s ouster from the post and call for a special election for a new teacher representative.

The board said the BOE and several teachers in the system are dissatisfied with Bennett’s service as teacher representative. Bennett, said the BOE, has been censured for refusing to apologize to a fellow board member for his inappropriate conduct and for repeatedly using a school letterhead for his personal agenda.

The board said Bennett has continued to disobey the board’s ethics code and the Public School System’s regulations. Bennett also allegedly attacked fellow BOE members and PSS staff in his comments to the media and his letters to the editors in both local newspapers.

It further said that Bennett has refused to recognize that “individual BOE member does not have the authority to speak for the board,” in accordance with BOE regulation 340.

“His letters to the newspapers and his interaction within our community demonstrate his arrogance and his inability to work as a BOE member,” reads part of the letter.

Bennett was not available for comments as of press time. The Saipan Tribune called Kagman High School and his residence but was told that he was not around.

When discussions about tenure came up, a BOE committee, then the board itself, had asked Bennett to submit a proposal for the board’s consideration. The board said that almost one school year passed before Bennett submitted the proposal. The board alleged that, during that time, Bennett pursued his personal agenda by lobbying at the Legislature for his own expense account. They said Bennett claimed that the account is for the teachers and that teachers support him in this, with more than 200 signatures of support.

BOE said it asked Bennett to furnish them the document to prove the teachers’ support on this matter but Bennett allegedly refused to provide the documents. The board said this behavior only proves the type of tenure Bennett has had as teacher representative. “When Bennett was called to provide evidence of support for most of his claims, Bennett repeatedly sidesteps or just ignores the requests.” The board also said it has caught Bennett exaggerating and lying.

The board said there are instances that Bennett’s integrity and honesty was questionable. Last week, he told the media that he left the board meeting late last month to avoid an “ambush.” But when Bennett asked the board chair to be excused from the meeting, he stated that he had personal matters to attend to that day.

The board also stated that Bennett was reported to have sneaked into schools without informing the administration.

“PSS takes security issues seriously and requires all visitors to schools to follow BOE regulation 1430.” The regulations require all visitors, even teacher representatives, to report to the administration when they come in.

The board also said in the letter that Bennett placed pressure on teachers to distribute his flyers. Recently, Bennett allegedly called in sick for work only to show up on two other school campuses distributing flyers to teachers, again without signing in as a visitor.

“This man cannot be trusted to represent the teachers in the CNMI,” said the board. The board said it has to take action at their level but is still seeking assistance from the government to remove Bennett from the board.

“Bottom line, Mr. Bennett has failed to represent the interest of teachers.”