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Case Against Purdy Postponed

By Antonio D. French

Filed Monday, July 31 at 9:55 PM

The lawsuit to remove Bill Purdy from the school board was not heard today. The hearing has been postponed for several weeks to late August.

10 Comments:

Anonymous said...

It would seem that if the schools are open by then, it would weaken the effect of having Purdy removed. Changing the balance of the board back to suit Slay would come too late to change the situation of Irons and Williams.

If schools are not open on time, I hate to think about how the suit and its consequences could unfold.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006 12:34:00 AM

Anonymous said...

I don't think there is much chance of the schools not opening on time. The board majority and new Supt. know how important it is. The schools may not be ready...but they will open on time. Status quo. (Unless Slay's buddies have another trick up their sleeve.)

Tuesday, August 01, 2006 8:41:00 AM

Anonymous said...

Inspector Clouseau here: Bravo, Jim, how you say in America? "Right on"!

My inspection uncovers un petit plus of facts. Slay's buddies do, indeed, have more tricks up their sleeves.

Slay, like le petit coporal, Napoleon, has big lust for power and will not give up until he is banished on some petit isle in the Mississippi, me think. Too bad there isn't one named "Elba."

Tuesday, August 01, 2006 10:57:00 AM

Anonymous said...

Let's hope that Irons, T. Hall, M. Johnson, and D. Johnson will have vented by then. The Au. 8th elections may let some of Slay's steam out.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006 9:08:00 PM

Anonymous said...

I thought it was curious that the PD chose not to run this story---left it to the suburban journal.

Suburban Journals > Missouri Story
School board president seeks order of protection

Shawn Clubb
Of the Suburban Journals
South City Journal,Southwest City Journal
08/02/2006

The president of the St. Louis Public Schools school board has petitioned for an order of protection against former Vashon basketball coach Floyd Irons and radio sports personality Demetrius Johnson.

Irons and Johnson have been among the people who have protested twice outside the Central West End home of Board President Veronica O'Brien. Their protests follow the school board's decision to end Irons' position as coach and the district's director of health, physical education and sports administration and the resignation of Superintendent Creg Williams.

O'Brien has petitioned the city circuit court to issue orders of protection for her and her 11-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter. She alleges Irons and Johnson have stalked, threatened and harassed her. She said Johnson has harassed her since December when a report was published which suggested improper use of funds at Vashon by Irons and Johnson.

In a statement accompanying her petition, O'Brien alleged Johnson called her and told her to back off the investigation. She said he used abusive language. She said Johnson has repeatedly gone on the radio and said he would go after her and take her down.Advertisement

O'Brien alleged both men have appeared twice outside her home with a group of demonstrators. She said they have screamed obscenities. She said the two men waited in a car outside the school board office on the evening the board accepted Williams' resignation. She alleged they drove their car toward her when she stepped into the street and she had to jump back to keep from being struck.

O'Brien told the Journals the first group that came to her house came onto her porch and knocked over political signs. She said on the second occasion a car pulled in behind her car and blocked her driveway as people yelled at her and her son.

"By now I am in constant and daily fear that these two individuals by some means will hurt me maybe kill me," she wrote in the petition.

"It's just got to stop. It was out of line. I thought they had understood this wasn't appropriate behavior," O'Brien said during an interview with the Journals. "It's a horrible thing to sit there with your child on the backseat of the car and this was happening."

O'Brien said if these people want to know why the board made decision, they should address the board. She said Irons and Johnson have not addressed the board with any correspondence during regular hours.

Jay Burns, O'Brien's attorney in the case, said the case is not about free speech, but about conduct.

"Veronica O'Brien is not trying to silence the mouths and words of these people. She doesn't want them on her property at night. She doesn't want them following her," Burns said.

O'Brien filed the initial petition on her own Friday. Judicial Commissioner Anne-Marie Clarke granted the order. However, Associate Circuit Judge Barbara Peebles then denied it, saying the court didn't have jurisdiction.

O'Brien then filed with Burns as her attorney. Associate Circuit Judge James Van Amburg then denied that petition, saying her description wasn't stalking. Van Amburg set a hearing on the matter for 9:30 a.m. Aug. 10.

In another civil case concerning school board members, a hearing on whether board Vice President Bill Purdy should remain on the board has been postponed until 9 a.m. Aug. 21. Purdy requested the continuance because he is on vacation in Europe.

School board member Ron Jackson, Vashon basketball coach Floyd Irons and others have petitioned the courts to remove Purdy from the board, saying his election to the board violates board bylaws.

School board member Flint Fowler has withdrawn as petitioner. Attorney Jerome Dobson would not comment on why Fowler withdrew. Fowler did not return a call from the Journals.

The lawsuit states that the board's bylaws prohibit close relatives of district employees from running for the school board. It further states that Purdy has one or more children who are employed as teachers by the district.

The lawsuit asks that Purdy be removed and the court prohibit the school board from eliminating the Department of Health, Physical Education and Sports Administration.