Jessica Olson on Friday provided us with a higher-quality copy of the video she recorded Tuesday evening during the fracas involving her and two other Everett School Board members.
We think it’s worth a look and makes it easier
to see some details of what happened that were fuzzy in the smaller-sized file we initially had available.
Meanwhile, Lucia Fisher, a reader who describes herself as a home-based transcriptionist, turned her talents toward improving on the transcript we’d prepared. We are grateful that she listened to our call for reader assistance in reporting on this story.
Below is the video, followed by the improved transcript.
Jessica Olson: This is gonna get recorded here. We’re on.
Ed Petersen: This is … This is … This is …
Olson: You are asking us to approve an evaluation report of Dr. Cohn …
Petersen: You are out of order.
Olson: No, I’m not out of order. You’re not the boss in here, Ed. Sorry.
Petersen: You are not going to be recording in here.
Olson: Yeah, I am.
Petersen: This is an executive session.
Olson: Nope. We haven’t said anything illegal.
Petersen stands up, leans across the table and reaches for the recorder with his right hand.
Olson: You’re not going to touch it!
Kristie Dutton: Meeting’s over. Meeting’s over.
Olson: Meeting’s over. You’re doggone right it is.
Dutton: The meeting hasn’t started yet …
Olson: You want to play hardball? Let’s go. Absolutely.
Petersen: This is an executive session. This is an executive session.
Olson: We will discuss the parameters of this evaluation and you’re not going to vote to ramrod this down when a minority opinion doesn’t go in it. That’s wrong. I know you justify everything by ends justifies the means, but this is not going down.
Dutton: This is under executive session …
Olson: We haven’t said anything about him yet. We are talking about the parameters of his evaluation and what goes on this chart. You are not going to not include the minority remarks in here. That’s not going to happen.
Dutton: You were just given the report, so I don’t know how you’ve read it.
Olson: Because I can see that it is all positive stuff and none of the remarks I made are in there. Everybody gets to rate him with a one to four, and the minority vote gets in there. There is no way that I am going to sign off on this.
Petersen: A minority member of the board doesn’t get to tell the rest of the board how to do business.
Olson: You don’t get to tell me that this is how the board reviewed him.
Petersen: Yes, the majority of the board does. We don’t …
Olson: No. Absolutely not.
(People talking over each other.)
Dutton: We are not you. We are a board of directors.
Olson: No. Every other evaluation in every other district the directors get to put a number down on whether they agree with it and they get to rate him. You’re not gonna give him a glowing review when you know that I don’t agree.
Dutton: (Can’t be heard clearly) … unable to perform the duties that we have been (untelligible) to do, which is …
Olson: Yes. Let’s take it to the press. I’m going to tell them what you guys are doing. Let’s do it.
Carol Andrews: (Unclear. Says executive session matters shouldn’t be discussed in public.) This is an executive session. It should not be, being filmed so …
Olson: We shouldn’t be talking about this in executive session. You are absolutely right. We should be talking about the parameters of this in open session. You are absolutely right and that’s why I’m taping it.
Dutton: I refuse to continue with this …
Olson: You are right. Let’s not continue.
Dutton: Again the display of erratic behavior by director Olson …
Olson: The display of the illegal behavior by you four .
Dutton: It’s unfortunate …
Olson: We have not agreed on the parameters of this. There is no way that you are going to get your way on this evaluation without the public knowing what’s happening. You pulled the fast one last time. It’s not happening this time.
Dutton: Again, that mischaracterize …
Olson: And don’t you dare touch my recorder.
Andrews: Is that a threat?
Dutton: Yeah, is that a threat?
Olson: Yeah. He reached for it. I said don’t you dare touch my recorder.
Dutton: No. Is that a threat?
Olson: I’m telling him not to. What’s your definition of a threat?
Dutton: Are you going to inflict personal (unintelligible) …
Olson: No. I don’t.
Dutton: … physical harm?
Olson: I said you better not touch my recorder.
Dutton: What are you going to do? Are you going to post something on your Facebook page?
Olson: I’m telling him he’s not going to do it. Are you threatening me?
Dutton: (Unintelligible) slander and mistruth?
Andrews: Since this is being recorded, I think that we all will be entitled to a copy of this recording under the open public, under public records act.
Dutton: Yes. And I’d like a copy by tomorrow morning.
Andrews: Either shut it off or give us all a copy when it’s over.
Olson: I don’t mind giving you a copy.
Andrews: You are not giving us a copy?
Olson: What?
Andrews: You are refusing to give us …
Olson: You don’t want me to, you don’t want me to give you a copy now?
Andrews: You are refusing to give us a copy of the recording you are making right now.
Olson: No. I said I don’t mind giving you a copy.
(People talking over each other.)
Dutton: For the purpose of this executive session, I’m done talking about it.
Olson: Good.
Petersen: OK.
Andrews: Why don’t we establish for the record that we had to end the meeting because Director Olson refused to turn off the recorder.
Olson: And we had to end the meeting because we couldn’t agree on the parameters of the evaluation and how to write it up. It hasn’t been discussed in open session.
Dutton: No. It simply was because you had a recorder.
Olson: This is not executive session material.
Dutton: (Still talking. Unintelligible.)
Olson: No. We have to discuss the parameters. I’m sorry. (Sets down her copy of Petersen’s draft evaluation of Cohn, slides it a few inches away.)
Dutton stands up at the table and reaches for the paper. Camera begins shaking.
Olson: You are gonna …
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