SANTA CLARA — Trustee Chris Stampolis, censured by his Santa Clara Unified School board colleagues for allegedly harassing a principal, remained defiant while facing an overflowing crowd calling for his immediate resignation.
Stampolis was the lone dissent in the board’s 5-1 vote Thursday night to “censure, repudiate, disavow and formally express its disapproval” of him after Peterson Middle School Principal Susan Harris accused the trustee of harassing her. Stampolis’ friend and ally Ina Bendis, who left the room rather than take part in the vote, appeared unmoved by speakers’ demands and audience catcalls for her resignation or censure for harassment as well.
The board’s resolution also permits Santa Clara Unified employees to refuse to meet with Stampolis or respond to his emails and phone calls.
Last week a Santa Clara County Superior Court issued a restraining order that directed Stampolis to stay away from Peterson, which his son attends, and Harris, her husband and her father.
Speaker after speaker urged censure and chided the board for its inaction on employee complaints of harassment.
“Where were you when the bullying started?” asked Robert Buchser, Harris’ father.
Peterson parent Leslie Kloes presented a petition with 279 signatures — about one-quarter of Peterson parents — calling on board President Christine Koltermann to request Stampolis’ immediate resignation.
Another parent, Peta Roberts, presented a similar petition with 479 signatures asking Stampolis to resign. But she removed the names to protect their safety before turning in the document. “We feel so threatened,” she said. “He has been stalking so many people.”
Patty Picard, head of the support-staff union who filed a harassment complaint against Bendis four years ago, said of the censure: “I’m thrilled.” In Picard’s case, the board had expressed “strong disapproval” of Bendis for threatening behavior.
Thursday’s meeting began with a silent protest as board members filed in. More than two dozen people stood holding signs, “Resign Now” and “No Bullying.” They periodically waved them during the meeting, and stood and turned their backs on Bendis as she argued at length that the board lacked a policy on censure and wasn’t following the proper procedure for expressing disapproval of a member.
Stampolis also spoke against the censure. He pointed out that he still has time to appeal the restraining order, and that the court hasn’t issued the formal transcript of the proceedings — so that the board may not be fully informed. He cited other disputes that were resolved in his favor. A resolution, he said, should be “precise, accurate and be able to be checked.”
Despite various transgressions the censure listed, he said, “Including this in a resolution doesn’t mean that it happened.”
Aside from Bendis, he did not persuade any other board members.
Afterward, Harris said she was glad. “I really do hope this shifts the culture in this district.”
Contact Sharon Noguchi at 408-271-3775. Follow her on Twitter at @noguchionk12.
