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RIZZO PROTEST GROUP EXCLUDES MEDIA - Principal Not Present At Arnoldsburg School |
| (08/25/2005) |
| A group of greater Arnoldsburg citizens who have posted public meetings protesting the hiring of Dr. Gene Rizzo as the Arnoldsburg principal, have now declared their meetings private. Participants reiterated a statement made at Tuesday's meeting - they do not want the Calhoun Chronicle or the Hur Herald present. Evans warned the group Tuesday they need to be careful what they say to the media, after angry outbursts dominated last week's public meeting in Arnoldsburg. Organizer Brenda Holcomb said she is asking others to take a leadership role regarding the protest, and that questions regarding the matter should be directed to Lee Evans, who will be the group's leader. Evans, a former teacher and school board member, no longer has grand-children at the school, but his wife teaches there. Holcomb said to ask Evans if the meeting was private. When the Herald asked Evan's before the meeting whether it was private, he said the meeting was for parents to decide what they were going to do with their kids. Participants then said "There is no one in charge," saying the meeting was private. The Herald left the meeting. Such meetings can have privacy rights, but last night's meeting was held on public property. Following several days of hostility toward Rizzo, including threatening statements at last Thursday's meeting, Superintendent Ron Blankenship told the Herald, "Dr. Rizzo will be working at the school board office until I can get to the bottom of the issue." He said the principal will not be at Arnoldsburg School on Friday, opening day. Evans reportedly was to be advising parents last night about further actions, including a planned rally at the state capitol tomorrow. Tonda Delaney, organizer of the Charleston rally, made no public announcement about whether the rally was canceled or not. Messages left by the Herald on Evans' answering machine went unanswered yesterday. Some of the Arnoldsburg school parents continue to be outraged that the former Maryland educator has been hired at the community school, concerned that problems in his private life will spill over in his professional relationship with students. Blankenship said there is no evidence he has had problems within schools he has served. See earlier Herald stories.
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