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Police called during parent complaint at school board

Parents wanted an apology for how their son was treated

Havre Public School employees called the police during Tuesday night’s school board meeting after a woman, who told board members the way the board and district superintendent treated her son earlier in the year was unacceptable, refused to leave.

Bob and Teri Jacobson, whose son Dane graduated this spring, said during the open agenda portion of Tuesday night’s meeting at Havre Middle School they didn’t like board member Harvey Capellen saying to their son, in a Feb. 14 closed meeting, that Dane was wasting the board’s time.

The reason for that February meeting, the Jacobsons said later, was to ask the board if there was a way to “lessen” Dane’s academic load.

“Now I understand why students and parents don’t come to the board,” Bob Jacobson said to board members on his way out Tuesday night.

Board Chair Aileen Couch and Havre Public School Superintendent Andy Carlson told the Jacobsons they would have to talk about what happened in that February meeting privately. Bob Jacobson replied they would set up a private meeting and walked out.

Teri Jacobson continued to berate the school board for their treatment of Dane as her husband hollered for her to follow him out. At the same time, another school district employee, who was in the seating area of the auditorium, began calling the police, per Couch’s instructions.

Bob Jacobson said this morning they received a call from the police after the incident, asking them what happened and telling them the school board is considering getting a no-trespassing order against the Jacobsons.

“They’ll just have to arrest me,” Bob Jacobson said, adding that he has grandchildren at Havre public schools and he will not be banned from attending their after-school events.

Carlson said this morning that he speaks for the board when he says what happened in that Feb. 14 meeting cannot be discussed and he would not comment on what Capellen, or anybody else, said.

“There was a meeting Feb. 14 and there was a student issue,” Carlson said.  

Carlson released an official statement later this morning.

“The Board of Trustees and administrative staff of Havre Public Schools is prohibited by federal law from divulging confidential student information that is reviewed in executive session in accordance with Montana’s open meeting laws. The School District works to honor the privacy rights of all students. The School District can confirm the matter in question was handled in accordance with these privacy rights, applicable district policies and Montana’s open meeting laws,” the statement said.

The Jacobsons said they have additional gripes with the school board.

They said that twice, during the school year, Carlson had told Dane he didn’t have the credits to graduate, and both times Carlson’s calculation was wrong.

Carlson said this morning that the first time, grades had not been posted yet, and he did have “that incorrect.” He acknowledge that to the Jacobsons, he said. The second time, Carlson said, grades had not been posted when he checked, but he had not said Dane did not have the credits.

The Jacobsons said that Carleson did say that.

They said Carlson looked at his computer during the Feb. 14 meeting and said Dane did not have the credits.

“Well, which one is it?” Bob Jacobson said he asked.

Dane Jacobson has graduated and plans on taking a year off from school and possibly working on a North Dakota ranch, his parents said.

The Jacobsons said the reason they showed up Tuesday night was about more than just their son.

“We wanted them to understand that you can’t treat students and parents that way and for Carlson to apologize for being wrong twice,” Bob Jacobson said. “I walked in an open meeting to talk about how my kid was being treated and they didn’t wanna hear that.”

 

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