As preparation for negotiating a new contract with the teachers, the New Horizon School Board appoints three members as its bargaining team. A member of the audience charges that one member of the negotiating team should be excluded from any involvement in decisions about the contract.
The objection is raised because the board member in question is the parent of a staff member. The community member asks the board to make a formal ruling to preclude the board member from "discussing or voting on any contract involving employees at the school, or any other matter, fiscal or otherwise, related to the professional staff."
The remaining board members are in a quandary. The accused board member is determined to remain on the negotiating team. He claims that he is capable of remaining objective, and that the board has no authority to "disenfranchise the people who elected me to the board" by "removing me from subcommittee work or participating in the decision-making aspect of the role of a board member."
The board member in question points out that his daughter had been hired by the school long before he agreed to run for the board. He points out that he ran for the board "because no one else was willing to do the job."
The superintendent points out that the board had adopted a policy on the appearance of conflict of interest as required by state statute, and suggests that the board use the policy to guide its response in this case. A motion is made to go into executive session to discuss possible board action and the policy.
What process should the board use to resolve this matter?
What options does the board have if the majority believes that a conflict of interest does exist?
How would you vote on the motion that will come from the executive session?
What does your policy on conflict of interest say about this issue?