The Board of Education will meet Monday night in special session to vote on one agenda item: “Action to Remove Jessica Martinez from the Office of Chairman.”
School board members cite several factors for this vote: suspicion of drug use (which she denies), violent altercations with her “ex-boyfriend,” leading to arrest (she claims she’s a victim), lack of protocol for running meetings, flaccid support for more school funding from the state, et al.
The majority that voted for her in December has had a major change of opinion, so it seems. Martinez claims it’s all political, whatever that means. Wasn’t it political that won her the chairmanship?
Such is the drama on the Board of Education overseeing the largest school district in the state. If she’s removed as chair the nine-member board will select a replacement. She will remain an elected member up for reelection next year.
I don’t know Jessica Martinez but I do question if the BBOE has the legal authority to remove Martinez and does she have due process. I see this being challenge in court.
Ron,
The BBOE us removing Martinez as chair and,IMHO,it has the authority to do so. It is NOT removing Martinez from being a member of the BBOE which is a position she was elected to. I don’t know if there is a legal ability to do so. Anyway,Martinez is a big mess. She needs more medical help than legal help. Any trial would show ALL her personal issues. Would she want that. She seems to be in a state of Denial right now. Maybe the powers that be will talk to the charter school industry in BPT(and the charter schools have been well taken care of in BPT) and they’ll give Martinez further help. Or maybe Martinez will just blow away in the wind as she self-destructs. If there is another lawsuit,just add it to the list. I’ll end this way. What difference does it make. Mario Testa will still be in total control of the BBOE and the hiring in the BPS. I intend to be at this meeting. I am sure it will be Executive Session but the puppets need to see faces of the People of Bridgeport that they are screwing.
I have to make an edit in my above comment.
“or,SADLY, Jessica Martinez will simply blow away in the wind as she self-destructs.”
IMHO,I stated above that Martinez needs medical help. I have seen a family member go down the road that Jessica Martinez seems to be travelling. I wish that no one goes down that road to self-destruction.
The board can choose its leadership. Court challenges cost money. Whatever the outcome I hope the focus is starts to be the students.
Eric Alicea, what are the legal process of removing Jessica Martinez from her position as the head of the BBOE? Are you saying that Martinez has no rights to challenge the removable? I’m sure that State Senator Dennis Bradley will take on the case against Martinez seeing that she was Bradley treasurer for his Senate campaign.
Board bylaws allow for vote overturn with a 2/3 majority vote if I’m not mistaken. Whereas most motions can pass 5/4 (simple majority) it can be overturned with a 6/3 majority.
Her right to challenge would be to secure a 4th vote. She will vote for herself, if Benejan votes and Illingworth stays the course she needs to swing one more vote.
I think the real question is who replaces her as chair. The notice for the meeting states removal of Martinez as chair. It seems to be a foregone conclusion that the votes are there for her to be removed as chair.
I can’t speak to what Bradley may do. It’s clear Martinez and Bradley are good friends, however, there’s a lot going on with him too. Fed and state investigations can take up a lot of one’s time.
BIG DEAL. This means absolutely NOTHING. The BPT Board of Education has been a pet project of Mario Testa and this “monster (the present BBOE) is Testa’s own creation ,his own Frankenstein. There is one single reason for Testa’s for this. It has given Testa control over the non-certified jobs in the BPT School System. More patronage jobs to dole out to get the reciprocal votes. As for it being political, of course it’s political. Testa made Martinez the chairperson to extend his personal control but she has become a personal embarrassment to him and a political liability. So the musical chairs of the chair of the BBOE will continue. My big question is who will be the next puppet to be chair. The challenge is the most of the BBOE/Testa puppets don’t have the intellectual ability to handle the position. My guess right now is Weldon. He pushed through the anti-Maria Pereira by laws,he’ll promise to be a good boy and he’ll feel important again. Does anyone want to make a bet. Does any OIB’ers want to make a guess who’ll be the next chair.
Mario Testa only cares about School Construction Jobs and the kick back That they provide!
Jim
Don’t kid yourself. Mario wants control of EVERYTHING!!!
Every f’n penny goes they him. Yes, school construction is where the big money 💰 is at but he controls EVERYTHING that has a dollar amount assigned to it.
BTW, I hear Brian Lockhart has in his hands a very big story that can impact Marcus Brown and his slate in next Tuesday’s primary.
Will it comes out before then or will it be buried like so many other stories by the editors???
Bob, almost all of those who voted in the last Democrat primary knew that Joe Ganim had the potential he to go back to the ways that got him in trouble before but they thought that Senator Marilyn Moore would be worse if she was elected mayor, now there’s absolutely nothing in her past to suggest that she has ever done something wrong and illegal. The voters got what they voted for, they didn’t want Moore so they got exactly what they wanted.
Speaking of burying stories, I believe it is criminal how the Bridgeport citizens are kept in the dark about subpoenas, Bport hiring a former federal prosecutor, Guideposts bill surpassing a quarter of a million dollars and who knows what else until the last election is over. It definitely would have changed the results.
This just in. CT Post website. $40,000 to Davita’s law firm. Paid to date. The Bills from Guidepost and Davita now exceed $300,000 and growing.
Stop the BS.
We need answers now or we need a whole new City Council.
Let’s start with the Town Committee in the 132nd to show them we’re serious.
Bob…….is this the story that is supposed to swing Sleepy Tuesday away from the Marcus Brown slate. Because if it is,I really don’t think it’s going to work. Those 200 Absentee Ballots which have been pulled will have a greater impact unless it’s some other bombshell story.
Frank
I don’t think soo either either. But if people don’t wake up to corruption in this city you can’t blame me.