Eideard

In what may be the first attempt in California to unseat an entire school board, high school students and supporters who want to oust all five members collected enough signatures to put the issue before voters, the Tuolumne County clerk said Friday.

The students organized the recall campaign as a civics project after the board of the Big Oak Flat-Groveland Unified School District voted to get rid of their popular math teacher, a former professional football player.

“We’re pretty excited about it,” said Tioga High School senior Billy Hilton, 17, one of the student leaders of the recall effort. “I don’t think this has happened many other places. We were able to do it because our school and community are so small and tight-knit…”

The California School Boards Assn., which represents 95% of the state’s school districts, does not keep election records, but staff members said the recall of a school board is uncommon if not unprecedented. “We can’t remember a time when a whole board has been recalled…”

It is unclear how the allegation of plagiarism reached the school district. The university said the allegation was unfounded, but the school board has refused to take Dutton back.

Dutton, who hopes to return to Tioga High and resume teaching math, said he was overwhelmed by the support from the students and community. “I knew that I had a good relationship with them, but you never think that the kids would rise up and do something of that sort,” he said. “I can’t say enough about their support. It reiterates for me that this is the right career for me.”

Regardless of what may have been presented to the school board, it was a Star Chamber proceeding with the teacher having no right to confront accusers or challenge so-called evidence. If you run a school board like the Inquisition, you deserve to be thrown out of office.