Government taxes to establish a public school system, from the property of private parties, draining them of resources they could use to build alternatives, requiring their children to attend, to be placed in the care of publicly-paid teachers and administrators, but only supplies an answer for why an administrator — with authority over children — was fired when a newspaper seeks information under a public records request.
Instead of releasing a report on its own initiative, as it should have done, the Janesville School District only released information about Principal John Walczak’s firing when a private party — a newspaper — sought through law the public records about public officials and public duties.
When one hears that each and every public administrator is truly a public servant, one may safely reject the contention. A group of sincere public servants would have published records of a fired principal’s conduct immediately upon his firing — no open records request would or should be needed. That sincere group would have fought the delaying tactics of the principal’s attorney to keep the documents secret.
See, Former Janesville principal fired for sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct.
The Gazette‘s headline tells why Walczak was fired: for sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct. That doesn’t mean that Walczak did what the report alleges, but it does show why the district fired him.
Here’s just a sampling from a story worth reading, several times, in its entirety —
A former Janesville principal was fired after being accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior, including making comments about women?s body parts and partying with staff members, according to documents obtained by the Gazette.
Former Jackson School Principal John Walczak also was accused of bullying employees and failing to visit classrooms for evaluations, according to 208 pages of documents from a school district investigation.
Staff members also told school officials that Walczak missed parts of a Green Bay conference because he was at a bar or had a hangover, according to the documents.
Walczak was placed on administrative leave in May after complaints were made against him. He was fired in July for violating the Janesville School Board?s sexual harassment policy and not upholding the dignity and decorum of his position, according to the documents.
The school district released the documents after the Gazette filed a request under the Wisconsin Open Records Law to learn why Walczak was fired.
If Wisconsin didn’t have a Public Records Law (Wis. Stat. ss. 19.31-19.39), and Janesville didn’t have a newspaper will to exercise its rights under that law, would the community have learned about the allegations against a principal with authority over children? How long, if ever, would the truth have been kept from the parents of these children?
When faced with allegations like these, the best policy will always be complete disclosure to the public, at the earliest opportunity, and on the public entity’s own initiative. If that’s not to happen, then a community may, at least, be grateful that a private newspaper is prepared to act in the public interest.