FUESD board decides to continue virtual meetings

Rick Monroe

Special to Village News

Online via Zoom will continue to be the only way to observe board meetings of the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District following a trustees vote Thursday morning, Sept. 30. The vote approved a resolution to continue holding virtual meetings pursuant state recommendations in AB 361, a state law adopted Sept. 16 that can apply through January 2024.

Thursday’s special meeting was also held virtually and the three board members present voted unanimously for approval of the resolution. Clerk Ricardfo Favela led the meeting with the absence of Suzanne Lundin, president. Susan Liebes and JoAnn Lopez joined Favela in the vote. Caron Lieber was also not present.

One resident, Brittney Tiemer, spoke against the online meetings. She said that other parents, like her, don’t have internet and the online meetings are difficult.

“To me, it all sounds like a bunch of discrimination,” Tiemer said. “We’ve been in the pandemic for close to 20 months. We’ve learned how to navigate and live with this virus. We can’t be afraid of this virus anymore.”

“I know you go out in the community into grocery stores with people who are either not complying with the vaccine mandates or masking, but you still live you everyday life,” she added. “I notice at your last meeting you were all in the same building on school property and the rule is you have to be masked at all times. If all the students in your schools are masked, you should be, too. This is just hypocrisy, just a new form of discrimination.”

After the meeting, a district spokesman explained to the Village News that the meetings are held in the district offices sans students, so the mask requirement would not apply.

Tiemer detailed her thoughts about discrimination, saying, “It used to be the blacks vs. the whites, and the blacks being afraid of the whites, but now it’s being afraid of the unvaccinated and the safety of others … We want you to hear us out in person. You are taking the human out of all these meetings … . We can talk for only three minutes and then we’re just cut off … I hope you reconsider this motion.”

A few sentences later she was cut off, the three-minute time limit expired.

Favela thanked Tiemer for her comments. After the 3-0 vote to approve the resolution, the Lieber and Lopez made comments.

“I think this is really important, what we are doing, because I know how hard our staff is working to contact trace, do rapid testing, and to mitigate this whole thing,” Liebes said. “If we can keep ourselves out of that fray, and do our business and have public comment, we still have the opportunity for people to call in and have the same amount of time as an in-person meeting. I think it’s important to really kind of stay out of the way and get our work done without adding to our staff’s work of managing this whole pandemic.

“I’m looking forward to when we can get back with everyone in person, but right now I think this is really important,” Liebes added.

“I think it’s important that people realize they can still call in and voice their opinion,” Lopez said. “We’re not telling people they can’t say their side of whatever the issue may be. They still have that right. We’re not stopping it.”

The board was scheduled to meet Monday, Oct. 4. The next regular meeting of the school board is Monday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m.