Accusation against SOMA School Board member

Wow.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/16/new-jersey-school-board-member-accused-trying-to-manipulate-cop-calls-police-chief-skinhead.html

#iknowsheena

#boardofedprivilege

https://www.tapinto.net/towns/soma/articles/video-shows-school-board-member-in-altercation-wi

That.... is an unfortunate video to end up in the paper.

Yay SOMA. Going viral in 3...2....

well it’s good to see Walter Fields on the right side of this issue. 

Not good for the district at all.  We are at a critical junction for our schools and this will distract from everything.

A key question is when did the BOE learn about this video and what do they intend to do with it?  

Does the BOE have a role here?  Shouldn’t it be up to the populace to propose an action?

Yikes, what a performance. She goes back and forth between poor-me and nastiness, then she's calling Sheena and she even calls SOPD skinheads which can be considered a racially charged word. Oh the drama, for a lousy speeding ticket. 

This isn't on the level of the Caren Turner Tenafly video but this is decidedly bad form on the part of someone who should know better. 

PSA for all those who try to pull strings to get out of a summons: it's 2018. You should assume your stop is being recorded and behave as you would like the world to see you.

Kudos to the cop who's 100% professional.

Red_Barchetta said:
Does the BOE have a role here?  Shouldn’t it be up to the populace to propose an action?

The populace can vote.  Otherwise, the populace can complain and try to compel those that have authority to do something.

I'm disappointed that a member of our school board (1) drives so recklessly on our local streets with her child in the car, (2)tries to use her status as BOE member to affect whether she should get a citation ,(3) does not carry current proof of insurance, (4) tried to intimidate the officer by saying she will contact the mayor, (5) insults the police chief, and (6) essentially lacks sufficient self control to behave like an adult. And, sounded like she was too important to have to go to court just as anyone else in a similar situation would be required to.  Bottom line for me:  she should apologize to the SO police chief and seriously consider resigning from the school board.

Kudos to the professionalism of the officer.

I agree with all of you - the only person behaving appropriately and professionally here is the officer.

We can state absolutes based on this interaction. Or we can learn from it to help our community and police gain better understandings of each other.

This seemingly stress-induced emotional response is interwoven with assumptions of power and powerlessness. I think that recognizing this response pattern could help provide a key to understanding and improving interactions between police and community.

Unfortunately  front and center on the Fox website  ..under  "MUST SEE"

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/16/new-jersey-school-board-member-accused-trying-to-manipulate-cop-calls-police-chief-skinhead.html

If there is an upside for South Orange here it is that the video clearly demonstrates the calm professionalism of of our police force. I have interacted with the SO Police on a couple of occasions and always come away impressed. 

And we complain that the younger generation doesn't take responsibility for their behavior and often act entitled. How can we expect anything more when community leaders behave this way and set this example for their own children? Sheesh. Resign immediately.

First of all, to say she was driving reckless is ridiculous. She did however act like a spoiled brat, who thought she was entitled due to her position. How hard is it to make sure you have proper insurance cards in your vehicle.

I think driving 37 on that stretch of Walton right near the playground is reckless. People often use that crosswalk right there (often with kids) or back out of the parking spaces. If someone is going that fast over the speed limit there's less time for everyone to react.

sprout said:
We can state absolutes based on this interaction. Or we can learn from it to help our community and police gain better understandings of each other.
This seemingly stress-induced emotional response is interwoven with assumptions of power and powerlessness. I think that recognizing this response pattern could help provide a key to understanding and improving interactions between police and community.

 Please elaborate. This might be interesting.

Speeding is reckless...

There is a park with an unfenced playground right there.  37 is ABSOLUTELY reckless. 

People speed through there all the time. It’s a miracle no one has been killed. 

mrincredible said:
I think driving 37 on that stretch of Walton right near the playground is reckless. People often use that crosswalk right there (often with kids) or back out of the parking spaces. If someone is going that fast over the speed limit there's less time for everyone to react.

There have been a lot of complaints about speeding on that stretch. As I recall, last year a pedestrian was hit in the crosswalk.  

eta - Found the report on the pedestrian getting hit in the crosswalk: 

https://www.tapinto.net/towns/soma/categories/news/articles/woman-struck-by-vehicle-while-crossing-street-in

What defines a person is what they do when no one is looking.  She's a low level person who demonstrates a clear predisposition to racist bigotry and illusions of grandeur.  She is poison from within, leveling insults while invoking righteousness and prepotence .  I find her comments disgusting, and look to her immediate resignation from the school board.  One's conduct defines the most likely outcome.  Good riddance.   The police officer acted in the most appropriate manner, respectful and fully in keeping with the best that can be expected given the berating and bullying he received.

I heard the video on FB, and while I can understand her being distraught at being pulled over while trying to get her child to school (and presumably moving on to her own busy schedule), I agree that she escalated this to an unacceptable level. And while her reference to Chief Kroll was highly inappropriate, in terms of being "fair and balanced"and to provide context the article should have referenced the fact that Chief Kroll does in fact have an unusual hair style.

Dang, the video has been taken down.

It's especially amazing that she would act that way just six weeks after that PATH commissioner was forced to resign after pulling the same kind of stunt. 

She was not distraught at all! She was crying phony tears to get the sympathy of the officer. Then, when didn't fall for it and suggested medical help for her anxiety, she turned on him like a dime. those tears dried up and the cursing started. In this Me-Too era it is unforgivable that some women turn to the helpless feminine role to gain sympathy. What happened to the adult behavior of saying "Oh, sorry officer, I did not realize how fast I was going." Take your ticket. Be courteous. Act like a responsible adult. 

Here it is: 

she wasn't crying because she was scared, she was crying because she got a ticket. Boo-hoo. Great example for her child on how to act when pulled over by the police. He was nothing but respectful even when cursed at and insulted. I know some cops aren't good people and many more can use training on handling issues and race relations but this is an example (probably on the far mild side) of the crap they deal with every single day.

A disgrace for all the reasons mentioned above. I can't believe nobody has yet mentioned their horror of a BOE member using such foul language and improper english. 

Officer  did a great job. I don’t know who the board member is but to remain on the board is unacceptable- it’s not behavior we want our young people to model!

I listened to it, and it's bad.  But it wasn't as bad as I was expecting given the way it's being described.  

makes one wonder who else she would think are "skinheads".  we deserve better on our BOE, imho.