School Board member Barber comes under heated criticism

By Emily Richmond

Friday, Oct. 29, 2004 | 9:43 a.m.

Clark County School Board member Shirley Barber was handed a stinging -- and very public -- rebuke Thursday by a member of a parent action group who suggested Barber had shirked her elected duties.

During the public comment portion of Thursday's School Board meeting, Mary Jo Paris-Malloy, secretary of Nevadans for Quality Education, criticized Barber for "leaving meetings early, over and over, sometimes before her own agenda items are discussed." Paris-Malloy said Barber also wastes the time of the School Board and the public by repeatedly putting the same items back on the agenda even after they have been voted down.

"We question whether your constituents are being served," Paris-Malloy said.

A visibly angry Barber responded by asking Paris-Malloy whether she or Nevadans for Quality Education had an ulterior motive.

"Who are you to judge what I am doing?" Barber asked. "Are you working for my opponent? Who are you working for? I don't understand where any of this is coming from."

Barber is seeking her third term as the District C representative and faces Las Vegas attorney Richard Segerblom on Tuesday's ballot. Paris-Malloy later said while her organization has endorsed Segerblom but that was "completely separate" from the decision to confront Barber.

Nevadans for Quality Education formed in the wake of the divisive 2003 Legislative session. In the 18 months since, the group has lobbied state education officials to change the standardized testing schedule to make it more fair for year-round schools and also pushed successfully for revisions to the district's disciplinary policies.

"We attend all these meetings and week after week we watch Mrs. Barber walk out when there's still work to be done," Paris-Malloy said. "Hopefully by bringing attention to this she will be more aware of what she's doing."

At the prior School Board meeting Oct. 14, Barber left shortly before 9 p.m. -- 90 minutes before a vote was called on proposed changes to the district's controversial dress code regulations.

In order to change a regulation the seven-member board must have at least four "yea" votes. With School Board member Mary Beth Scow out of town and the others split 3-2, the vote was delayed and the meeting continued to a special meeting this week. Board members Denise Brodsky and Barber were absent from that vote, which passed on a 4-1 decision.

Reached at home Thursday following the meeting, Segerblom said he had no connection to Nevadans for Quality Education and was unaware that the group planned to take issue with Barber's job performance.

Following the remarks Barber left her seat and made her way into the audience, asking Paris-Malloy to join her in the hallway. Their discussion quickly escalated into verbal confrontation, with Barber asking loudly why Paris-Malloy had singled her out.

At one point Barber appeared to poke a finger at Paris-Malloy's chest.

"You do not touch me, Mrs. Barber," Paris-Malloy said. "Touch me again and I'm pressing charges."

Back in the board room -- and in an interview later with the Sun -- Barber suggested some of her School Board colleagues might have engineered the incident to boost Segerblom's chances. Barber has repeatedly butted heads with some of the other members, particularly over how much autonomy should be allocated to Superintendent Carlos Garcia.

Clark County School Board President Susan Brager-Wellman said she, too, has gone through the uncomfortable experience of "being verbally attacked" during public comment.

"I sympathize with Mrs. Barber," Brager-Wellman said, adding that Paris-Malloy's comments had come as a surprise.