Christopher Peak Photo
Birks: I apologize.
Darnell Goldson went from being the subject of a vague investigation Monday to receiving a public apology from the schools superintendent — and then being reelected president of the Board of Education.
The apology and reelection took place at a Board of Ed meeting Monday night at Celentano School.
The five board members present unanimously voted to reelect Goldson to the presidency, a post he has held for a year. After the vote, he promised to keep the focus on reducing the budget deficit and increasing student achievement.
Also at the meeting, Superintendent of Schools Carol Birks made her first public statement about a complaint she had made about feeling uncomfortable with being alone in a room with Goldson. That complaint led Mayor Toni Harp to hire an outside lawyer to conduct an investigation. On Friday afternoon Harp met with Birks and Goldson in City Hall to discuss the lawyer’s findings, which Goldson characterized as an exoneration.
Some people misunderstood Birks’ general complaint about feeling uncomfortable as meaning that it included allegations of physical threat, Goldson said. No such allegations were made.
Birks apologized for how such “falsehoods” became a “distraction.”
She began her remarks at the Board of Ed meeting by “thanking” the mayor for taking her concerns seriously but noted she had not requested an investigation.
“Any concerns that I raised about Mr. Goldson were about our roles and our responsibilities — our professional responsibilities — as superintendent and as board chair for New Haven Public Schools,” Birks stated. “In sharing my concerns with the mayor, I hoped, either through mediated conversation or other support, that Mr. Goldson and I could improve our working relationship to serve the more than 21,500 students attending New Haven Public Schools who remain our number-one priority. …
“It really saddens me actually that throughout this process people have speculated and drawn conclusions about what this inquiry was or was not. The final report makes it very clear what the focus of the inquiry was. so I won’t go into that in detail. But just to say, the falsehoods and speculations spread throughout the process have resulted in a distraction for all of us. For that, I truly apologize.”
She said that she and Goldson are now planning to “have regular meetings so we can work together collaboratively and work together in a mutually supportive and trusting manner for the benefit of the children of New Haven.”
Close To The Vest
Carol Birks (left) apologized to Darnell Goldson (right).
Although the investigation is complete, the city has not released the final report. Birks and Goldson said they have not yet seen it.
They did hear a recap of the findings at the meeting Friday afternoon with Mayor Harp in City Hall.
Harp said the investigation by a city-hired attorney looked into what some people incorrectly interpreted as potential physical harassment — although Birks had never stated that her complaint involved physical harassment.
“Some people thought there was a sexual (accusation). It wasn’t physical threatening, either. It wasn’t really clear to me at the time what it was,” Harp said during her latest appearance on WNHH FM’s “Mayor Monday” program. “We’ve clarified it. The things that most people think: Sexual harassment. no, that didn’t happen. Physical abuse, no. Threat of physical abuse, no, not that either.”
Rather, Harp said, the concerns focused on the appropriate roles of the superintendent and the board president. Goldson and Birks attended Friday’s powwow, where they hashed out those concerns, Harp said.
“They had an opportunity to talk to each other. They both understand each other better and made a commitment to work together for the young people,” Harp said. “It really was a matter of a difference [about] who had what role. It really was role definition. And really understanding personality types. And to understand sometimes some people are more ardent in the way that they defend their turf.”
Harp said Birks also acknowledged that people could have easily misunderstood her original remark as suggesting that Goldson had physically threatened her. She apologized at the meeting for having created the misperception, Harp said.
Did Goldson offer apologies as well? “You know our friend,” Harp said. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to apologize for,” Goldson said in an interview Monday. “I haven’t been told what the issue was. I’m not going to apologize for doing my job. I’m not going to apologize for someone who dragged me through the mud for three months,” Goldson said. “The fact is that I deserve an apology. My boss called me a few days ago and said someone came to him saying I’m being investigated for sexual harassment. This is my job that it’s gotten back to.”
“When I take up a cause, I’m very passionate, especially when it comes to money geared toward making children’s life better. I’ve been like that all my adult life,” Goldson said. “Sometimes, I guess it rubs people the wrong way, but I think I’ve gotten better at it over the years and become more diplomatic.”
“I wish it hadn’t happened,” Goldson said. “Certainly I was concerned with the fact that there was not even a real complaint. Some sort of open-ended discussion about feelings became an investigation.”
Goldson added that he, Birks, and Harp had previously tried to set up meetings to hash out the working relationship before the lawyer got involved, but the meetings never happened.
Goldson’s attorney, John R. Williams, also attended Friday’s meeting. He described the report as “a complete exoneration” of Goldson and noted that Birks personally apologized.
On “Mayor Monday,” Harp said she would not characterize the investigation’s conclusion as having “exonerated” Goldson as suggested in an article on the WTNH website, which first reported on the Friday City Hall meeting.
Harp said she believes the attorney conducting the investigation was working on a retainer and isn’t charging specifically for this job.
A caller to the program asked Harp if she regrets having devoted city resources to the investigation.
“Not at all,” Harp responded. “Because I didn’t know what it was. As the chief elected official in this community, you have an obligation when anyone expresses concern, to look into it. Had it turned out to be something bigger than it was, I would have been in trouble.”
Varick Pastor Weighs In
Monday evening, Varick Memorial AME Pastor Kelcy G.L. Steele issued the following statement about the controversy:
There has been much discussion throughout the City regarding the pending investigation with the Board Chairperson and the Superintendent. It is unfortunate that throughout this process there have been vicious rumors about both parties that have been shared . None of us have anything to benefit from non-factual statements regarding the working relationship between the Board Chair and the Superintendent.
The Superintendent was hired to help lead the District and the Board Members are supposed to provide support to her as she works to increase the lives of the students of this community. The past few months have been very challenging because there has been public and private evidence that they are not working as a high functioning team. It is time for us to mature, and rally in support of the Superintendent for the benefit of the students. As adults it is our responsibility as clergy, community leaders and elected officials to put students first at all times!
Click here to hear the full episode of “Mayor Monday.” The discussion about the Goldson-Birks affair begins at the 13:45 mark.
WNHH’s “Mayor Monday” is made possible with the support of Gateway Community College and Berchem Moses P.C.
So, Harp's misconception that she is responsible for the BoE, coupled with Birks's inability to manage up, just cost the city or BoE how much in billable hours?
Meanwhile, a unexplained $100K payout to Will Clark makes it seem that he did not jump, but was pushed. His lateral move to a smaller system makes a lot more sense if he was pushed.