Jul 11

Written by: host
7/11/2010 11:52 AM

By Patricia Morris

At Tuesday night's school board meeting, Al Link made some statements that we feel should be addressed at this time.  The video of what was said can be found on this Website's Homepage, and the Homepage of the Actionnews17.com Website.

Al Link brought his daughter into this, because the NAACP reported his nepotism violations to the Louisiana Board of Ethics, and he was found guilty and fined by the Ethics Board.

It is our understanding his daughter is a good teacher and administrator, and we commend her capabilities in being such, but Link changed the nepotism policy to accomodate her, and this is what was and still is wrong.

Of course, since that time, each time there is an opportunity to "bash" Pat Morris and that NAACP, whether across the dias during a board meeting, or in a local restaurant, he does this. What Link fails to realize is that rules apply to him as well. What he did in his back door deal with the former superintendent and a few others in changing the rules to give his daughter the assistant principalship at Ponchatoula High, while he and Genco served on the TPSS's Policy Committee violated the State and school board's own nepotism policy when he voted to propose a change, and voted to change the school system's nepotism policy using the policy change created by Link; his fully being aware of his changing of the wording and voting for the change in the back room was wrong, and the Ethics Board agreed, found him guilty and he was fined. Tank Genco recused himself from this vote for his son to get his son a promotion, is the reason why Tank Genco was not fined by the ethics board. The information is found on the Louisiana Board of Ethics Website, should anyone wish to see and read it for themselves. Just type in Al Link's name in the search engine, and you can see it for yourselves.

If Link continues to be angry, he will do well to be angry with himself, because it was he who broke and changed the rules to make this accomodation for his daughter and was caught doing so, not Pat Morris, nor the NAACP.

Link continues to reiterate,"no one will call to sit down and discuss the problem(s) with me," and to that I/we say he should remember the consistant times I/we came before the entire board for two years asking that this very thing be done before returning to court, and he would get up and walk out of the meeting in an insulting manner, while I/we was/were addressing the board. In hindsight, I am certain from what he is saying now referencing "no one will call to ask to talk about this with me," is something he thinks he should have done in the beginning, as he continues to tell some that he underestimated Pat Morris' ability, and we should have sat down to talk with her.

I tried; Link and others refused to sit down to talk. It is a moot point to try to make it appear that if we talk about this, we can work it out. The problem now is that no one believes you and we are in court. You, Link continue to commit the same wrongs always committed by you before. You have a court order to comply with. I/we do not. When you voluntarily do what you are ordered by a federal judge to do in showing good faith efforts, as opposed to being forced to do so, and following through on them and not just putting up a poor smoke screen, then maybe, we can come together to finally settle this. You know the NAACP phone number. If not, it is listed, otherwise, stop making irrational attempts to discredit my/our credibility at school board meetings, and in the public.

The truth of what has been happening all of these years, and certainly since the Joyce Marie Moore Case is reopened, is now seen by all as to who is really to blame - the TPSS's administration and a few school board members.

I/we will continue to work toward seeing all people in Tangipahoa Parish come together and work for the common good of all children in this school system, regardless of race, creed, color or national origin. We strive to see "people" working together, as opposed to this group and that group working against each other as you, Al Link, tried to create in order to advance your own agenda.

The people are sick and tired of it, and so are we!!!!!

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