Marblehead school board denies ethics code change

MARBLEHEAD – School Committee member Jonathan Lederman, who has refused to vote in favor of the committee’s code of ethics for three years, didn’t get far trying to change it Thursday evening.In fact, committee members voted 3-2 against accepting Lederman’s proposed change "for informational purposes."As a routine matter the School Committee votes on the two-page document each year at its re-organizational meeting. The Code of Ethics outlines committee members’ responsibilities to the community, school administration and fellow committee members.In the past Lederman has said that he will abide by the law but he expressed reservations about the code’s ban on statements or promises regarding his committee votes. Lederman said, "When people ask what our position is we ought to be free to say."The proposal he brought before the committee Thursday was to delete the line "Realize that he/she should not make statements or promises of how he/she will vote on matters that come before the committee."Lederman pointed out that he attended a recent meeting of Glover-Eveleth parents to voice concerns about the education plan for their children if the new Glover-Eveleth School building is approved and "I expressed my opinion.""School Committee members talk about school issues all the time," he said.New member Kathy Leonardson pointed out that the committee is a "deliberative" body and members should have an open mind. Dick Nohelty said that as a parent or citizen he may feel one way about an issue but as a School Committee member he could feel differently. "It’s a very difficult gray area," Nohelty said. When Lederman’s motion to accept the change failed to get a second, Nohelty asked about making it a policy change, which would accept the concept open to editing and require two more committee votes for acceptance, then moved to accept the proposal as informational.On the vote, Chairman Patricia Blackmer, Eurim Chun and Leonardson were opposed to the motion and Nohelty and Lederman in favor.