Anger, Threats and Charges of Nepotism
Decatur Metro | August 10, 2010I’d make more of a joke out of the fact that a DeKalb County School Board member threatened to “slug” a CBSAtlanta reporter if the larger nepotism story wasn’t so darn concerning.
CBS Atlanta has learned [DeKalb County School Board member Zepora] Roberts has two daughters employed by the school system; one who got a job, and another who got promoted during the time their mother has been in power.
In Robert’s anger she was quick to point out she’s not the only highly influential administrator with relatives being given jobs and promotions. In fact, she’s made a list.
“There was Jim Henson, who was a Superintendent who had two children working for the system and it was not an issue. Dr Hallford had his son, his daughter, his in-law and everybody else.”
The video showing Roberts’ threatening reporter Wendy Saltzman is embedded in the article linked to above.
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She seemed like an easy target. “Everybody is doing it!” Definitely a lot of folks sold down the river!
But when teachers everywhere are either losing salary or jobs there’s no sympathy garnered.
There shouldn’t be sympathy under any circumstances. This aptly named “Freinds and Family” program is a transparent waste of taxpayer money and is plainly inappropriate. Add this one to the Dekalb schools’ recent list of shame, including indictments and the recent AJC story of an employee selling copies of his 75 page, size 18 font “autobiography” to the school for $15 grand or so.
The appearances here point in one direction: the place is a cess pool of corruption.
I love Wendy Saltzman! She know just how to get folks to show their true colors!
I’m sure that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools will be very impressed that board members are making enemies lists on each other while Dekalb’s accreditation is in doubt.
If it’s “so darn concerning” for the Dekalb system, what about the obvious parallel in the City of Decatur system? That’s always seemed a bit strange to me, but nobody ever talks about it.
Feel free to talk about it. I am unaware.
Well, what comes to mind to me is that Valerie Wilson of the school board is married to Carter Wilson, who is the athletic director of Decatur High School, and a highly paid employee. Further, Elizabeth Wilson, former mayor of Decatur, is Carter’s mother.
But the difference is that Carter grew up in Decatur and knows many of the families and kids he works with. In addition, I believe he was a coach at GSU before he got his job in Decatur. Nepotism implies the person getting the job is not otherwise qualified. Carter was qualified.
I didn’t cast any aspersions on Mr. or Mrs. Wilson — in my experience they’re both highly qualified and competent people, as well as nice folks who care about Decatur and the CSD students. But the simple fact of their relationship creates the potential for conflict of interest or a perception of bias in decision making. For example, I can’t help wondering whether the decision to spend millions on a beautiful new stadium and gym at DHS, as well as the new Renfroe gym, might not have been influenced by the fact that the Board Chair and AD are married.
The point is that whether the decision was or wasn’t influenced, there is the appearance that it could have been, and we don’t need that. If this was an isolated small town with a very limited pool of qualified people, I could understand it. But I think the legislature’s decision to bar school systems from employing board members’ family in senior positions is a good one.
I would be careful about believing too much in what CBSAtlanta says and does. They supposedly “ask the tough questions”, but in reality act obnoxious and bullying, mistaking those characteristics for truth-seeking.
Well they gave Roberts an opportunity to respond. Her response was to threaten violence and then pull the “everyone else is doing it” excuse. In other words, she acted just like the proverbial 6 year caught looting the cookie jar. So what exactly is unfair about this story?
“I would be careful about believing too much in what CBSAtlanta says and does. They supposedly “ask the tough questions”
…And have you ever noticed who gets asked the tough questions. An example (and this applies to all the local news channels): One of the most common “undercover reports” is the phony car repair expose. You know the story, they take a car to different repair shops like Goodyear and Midas and are told the car needs unnecessary repairs. But notice where they never take this “undercover” car: a dealership service department. And dealerships just happen to be, by far, their # 1 advertiser. Sure, every once in a while they will run one of these “tough questions” type stories that puts a dealer on the spot, but it is rare. Yet the state gets more consumer complaints about auto dealers than any other business.
While the story is certainly relevant, I really despise their ambush interviews for nearly everything and how they have actually tried to trademark “We Ask The Tough Questions,” and the way the pose everything as a “tough question.”
Still, Wendy doesn’t deserve to be slugged.
But, as far as can tell, the questions are legitimate.
Yep. I can’t recall one with her where I thought ” Ooh. This is so not cool!” Don’t know how you’re going to get wrong acting folks to just sit down for the camera.
The “tough questions” thing over & over is just silly.
Wendy Saltzman, Atlanta’s own John Stossel.
Please give me a break from these two.
Want a break from both of them? Read the AJC.
Nepotism has always gone on, no matter the time or place. The difference is the ability of people to complain on public forums like this one. I heard from someone that Saltzman got this story initially from a blog.
Nepotism is one of the reasons that many governments instituted a merit system of personnel administration, first during the reform era of government. Of course, our current Governor did away with the Georgia Merit System. And now look who gets new jobs in state government.
Yes, and look who leaves! Some mighty fine and dedicated public servants at all levels have left n the last 8 years. Between no security, furloughs, and lots of abuse from the top, which loves to blame down, staying in state government is foolishness. It used to be that the desire for public service and the security of a job with a pension and good benefits would keep people who would otherwise be able to earn a lot more than a state salary. Now there’s no job security–you can be terminated at will for any reason other than legal discrimination–so working for the state is really a risky thing for anyone with a family to do.
I need a break from Saltzman’s ambush tactics and Robert’s corruption. Please can we vote this hack out of office? Integrity on the DeKalb school Board is a rare commodity. How do these elected officials not see obvious conflicts of interest?
A couple of years ago the DeKalb Delegation in their wise judgement decided to expand the size of the BoE? Why? We couldn’t get qualified people to fill the smaller Board. There are some good individuals on this Board. I believe the Chairman is doing his best, but collectively this group is a public meance. Wasting tax dollars is bad enough, but short-changing our childrens’ education is inexcusable.
Its only “nepotism” is someone who is otherwise unqualified gets a job solely because of their family relation. But keep in mind that friendships and relationships often develop within a professional community, so there are bound to be family ties between employees within that community. Those who are active in their communities–as educator, or public employees, or school board members–are likely to raise kids who want to be active in that same community. And they’re likely to marry people who are active in that same community. So its not shocking at all that a school board member has children or a spouse who works within that system. If the person is qualified, their ties to the community and the leadership of the school are an asset, so long as they don’t abuse the relationship.
I say all this with no personal knowledge of this particular board member and her situation. But in general, I think the cry of “nepotism” is often levied unfairly.
I am betting the charges aren’t unfair in the DeKalb case. Mention this to most any teacher in the DeKalb system and he or she will recite a litany of so and so’s sister/daughter/inlaw/church friend and this tangled web of connections. I have several good friends in the system and they all have really interesting stories.