By Patricia Morris
As there are Expert Specialists in both Employment Law and Employment Practices, one-on-one sensitivity training is much more sophisticated than a "stop or you'll get us sued" approach.
Depending on the underlying facts, the typical training covers the following areas:
Analysis of Causes
What are the beliefs and attitudes that led to the problematic behavior?
Understanding of Consequences
How does the individual's behavior affect their personal credibility, 
performance, and morale, as well as that of the school system in general?
Clarification of the Law
What constitutes acceptable and unacceptable school leadership behavior as a school board member?
Clarification of School Board and School System Policy
What are the school system policies and obligations under federal and state laws?
Setting of Goals
What changes in behavior are expected?
Providing Necessary Tools
What tools does a board member need to successfully achieve performance expectations?
At the conclusion of the training, the board members should be provided with a written summary that verifies the substance of the training. The summary establishes the school system and board's proactive and remedial efforts and the board member's participation.
The Tangipahoa Parish School Board has a prolonged history of "doing it their way," regardless of what the law says they are to do. Can we truly rely on an inservice sensitivity training session to be led by an employee who is a part of the problem, or should money be invested in bringing in an unbiased expert on this particular issue? Even if an expert is given the opportunity to share in their expertise in this subject area, are we to believe doing so will change the hearts of board members who are hell-bent on doing it their way. Afterall, they are adults, and they should know how to respect their fellowman, and certainly should know what it feels like to disrespect them in using terms not conducive to humankind, or is this an attempt to allow the school board members to take this training, in an effort to further thwart the beliefs of Tangipahoa Parish citizens in their coming to realize we have been duped into thinking the court order is being complied with when in fact it is not, thus giving attorneys on both sides a way to continue to charge exorbitant fees in taxpayer's money; money that should be in the classroom(s).