EDC ed board takes no action regarding supe
By Kathryn Reed and Joann Eisenbrandt
Jeremy Meyers, superintendent of the El Dorado County Office of Education, was not at Tuesday’s special board meeting where he was the only agenda item.
He did write a letter to the board and had spoken to each member before the meeting.
“As you know, as elected county superintendent, I am not employed by the board, nor does the board evaluate my performance. As such, I believe there is not an appropriate role for me to play at this board’s meeting,” he wrote.
Jeremy Meyers
The letter was read into the record Sept. 15 by board President John Lane.
David Gerard, who is the attorney representing the board and the superintendent, cited a state Attorney General’s opinion stating it would not be a conflict of interest for him to represent both entities.
Tuesday’s special meeting was called to discuss what, if any, recourse the board might have in handling Meyers’ DUI from earlier this summer.
A California Highway Patrol officer found Meyers asleep in a construction zone on Highway 49 at 2:45pm June 9, less than three hours after he left a board meeting. The CHP recorded Meyers’ blood alcohol level at nearly twice the legal limit. He pleaded no contest to driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level of just more than 0.08.
A judge sentenced Meyers to five days in county jail that was then commuted to five days of home arrest.
In the letter to the board, Meyers wrote, “The home arrest portion of my sentence was done on personal time, not on work time. I will continue to separate my personal matter from my responsibilities as the county superintendent.”
Unlike an employee who has differentiated work and personal time, an elected official does not have a set number of work hours. Even when they are away from the office they are still accountable to the people who put them in office – the public.
Meyers did not return or decline any of his nearly $200,000 annual salary for the five days he was on house arrest.
He was driving his own vehicle at the time of his DUI. He drives his own vehicle for work and is reimbursed for mileage by the county. As is normal with a DUI arrest, Meyers’ driver’s license now restricts him to drive only for work, which given the nature of his position could be almost anywhere at anytime.
Board member Heidi Weiland, who had initiated the special meeting, asked if the county office of ed’s drug-free work environment policy mentions alcohol. It does. It says one cannot possess, use, or be under the influence of a controlled substance at a school or other district workplace. Meyers was not accused of being under the influence at a work site.
About two dozen people attended Tuesday’s 45-minute meeting in Placerville – a much larger number than is usual. Seven of them spoke.
Nick Ridout, a part-time teacher for the county, asked the board not to play politics. He adamantly defended Meyers, calling him “an honorable man and a good human being.”
A couple others echoed that sentiment.
Sherri Lum-Alarcon, though, said there should be consequences for what Meyers did, especially because he is in education.
Ken Cater, who used to work for the county Probation Department, said Meyers being released to his wife and not taken to jail was “not a sweetheart deal. It was pretty much standard stuff.”
Instead of being taken directly to jail, Meyers was released to the custody of his wife. Law enforcement officials not with probation have told Lake Tahoe News it is “highly unusual” for that to have occurred.
Girard explained in detail the relationship between the board and superintendent, all of whom are elected.
“Neither is superior over the other. They each have their own responsibilities,” Girard said. “They work as a partnership. The education codes lay out what each does. They work together in a give and take. Both are responsible to the electorate.”
The board had little to say, with members Georgie Knight and Debbie Akin saying nothing.
“I clearly understand our role. I have complete faith that Jeremy will act in the county’s best interest,” board Vice Chairman Rich Fischer said.
Lane added, “I second what Rich said.”
Meyers concluded his letter to the board by saying, “It is my belief the integrity of the elected office of the county superintendent and the elected board of education is best served by recognizing the separate functions and duties of each.”
Lane asked if the board wanted to take any action; no one responded and the meeting was adjourned.
You can’t touch me, nyah nyah nyah!
This privileged bureaucrat should have had the guts to appear at the meeting to publicly disclose his troubling, bizarre, dangerous, and unlawful behavior to the school board – and to the public, parents, and taxpayers – which occurred on a workday during working hours. He is not fit for his position of leadership, trust, and sober judgment.
It’s no surprise that they circled the wagons.
One attorney representing both parties is a real strange one, the conflict is obvious and the representation worthless, in my opinion. The smug letter written by Meyers seeming to state he isn’t accountable was also very disrespectful to the voters and the public who employ him which most would think will be for a very short time if even one term.
It is good to be King
Hopefully any teacher, student, bus driver, gardener, nurse, etc. connected to the district and charged with a similar offense will be treated in the same hands off manner.
No real need to wonder why our schools do such a poor job of leadership when one observes this kind of behavior by ALL involved. American education truly does suck!!!
Meth-dealing drug cops, child molesting fire fighters, just par for the course ’round here. Why should we expect anything more? There is no accountability, especially for those in power who should be held to a higher standard. Perhaps their hands are tied, but are they not even going to publicly condemn his actions? I just hope they have a damn good reason should they ever suspend one of my children if this is the example they’re comfortable setting.
I believe Jeremy Meyers got elected to his current position because of years of hard work and success in Public Education. He can be voted out next go round- I think he made a bad decision on June 9th of this year to have cocktails with lunch after some board meeting- at least he realized he was intoxicated and pulled off the highway-
I think this public lynching by those that have a lot of nerve casting the first stone is big-time overkill-
only the hate gubmint nyah nyah blowhards and holier than thou bomb throwers equate Mr. Meyers with meth dealers and child molesters- that’s how twisted the lunatic fringe have become-let’s see what happens going forward with this story before we go all hate radio on this person
The overlords must be defended at all costs. Regardless of what laws they break and who they endanger. Must be protected. . . even at the expense of our own dignity and common sense.
Gulp….I agree with everyone here, except for Tea…
God help me!
Tea…I’m not sure how my belief that decisions regarding the health and well-being of my family should be conducted by sober and properly motivated individuals makes me the “lunatic fringe”.
He’s perfectly welcome to resign and enjoy all the vices he wants in the comfort of his home where he has no influence over other people.
So there is your answer folks, he is untouchable like the employees of STPUD, same thing, they do anything they want with out any consequences. I rest my case.
@Local2, What does STPUD have to do with Mr. Meyers? and why do you have such a problem with STPUD? Just curious.
if you are one of the folks behind the curtain you can get away with anything.
If people think there is no accountability they are wrong. This county has a history of removing bad politicians and this will continue. Only liberals celebrate bad actors like Bill and Hillary, Barry and Jerry.
Justice you are a frickin’ idjit.
Justice, this is all to easy. I will keep it simply and use one example, as more is likely to confuse you. Mitt Romney ran on pushing the unemployment rate to 6.0 by 2016. If he did that he would be a wild success – the unemployment rate is now 5.1 – I guess that makes Obama a failure. He should have stopped it at 6%.
Rick
There is accountability in the county? Id like some examples. For your one, i can give you five that weren’t. This county, its politics, and decision making are a joke.
Except, Rick, the unemployment numbers are bogus. They stop counting the people who have maxed out on unemployment benefits. They don’t count the underemployed, those who would like to be full time but are now relegated to part time. They don’t count all the MBAs who are pouring coffee at Starbuck’s. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
The economy still stinks.
Calpers whip, the same union body, I have a lot dirty politics “behind the locked door” on STPUD. Trust me on that
Dog you are 100% on target, that is a fact, there is no rosy outcome in “out of control” unemployment in the USA. Tahoe is a prime example of the condition in this damn near depression for most economy. The government is lying through their the teeth to us.
Dog, I love people who redefine reality so that it fits their preconceived notions.
The economic downturn (which was largely driven by Wall Street) was global and the worst since the great depression. Recovery is never fast or even. For example, look at Japan’s lost decade many years ago.
Unemployment is a metric that has been counted the same for many many years. There are complexities around the estimate, but no it is not bogus. I notice you did not discuss that economist have evidence that many have fallen off the roles because of the ACA, which has allowed them to afford health care without having to continue to work. My wife was laid off two years ago, and choose that as a reason to retire because she could. We have a few other friends who have similar experiences – all were professionals admittedly and were able to transition into retirement because they could. So yes she has fallen off the roles as you put it, but that was her choice – if she (or any of our friends in similar circumstances) wanted a job she could easily find a very nicely paying job.
Come to most major Cities (such as the Bay Area) and things are humming along quite nicely. Few MBAs are not working in the Bay Area by choice. The high tech companies and those industries that service them have recovered rather nicely. Housing prices are being pushed up again (and steadily rising in Tahoe – a metric for the Bay Area) in the higher population centers due to the increased employment, particularly in the professional sectors. As my business is a barometer, we have been significantly busier than we ever have (in business for 17 years). Home starts are also a fair barometer and they are doing rather well. Recoveries are always (and always will be) uneven. Communities like Tahoe are suffering because one of its main stays for the last few decades has been gambling, and with all of the Indian Casinos that has taken a beating and has not come back, and likely never will compared the heydays. Tahoe’s only real industry is recreation and the winter season has sucked for a few years and as such Tahoe has not recovered well.
My experience, people do not move to Tahoe for a job, but because they like the area and then cast about for something to do. Most professionals look for a job, and then make a life where they found it. Not the other way around. Unless you are reasonably well off, choosing the Tahoe model, is rarely going to result in a stable work environment.
So does the economy great or suck? It depends. If you are low skilled or have set up shop in a place like Tahoe where the traditional markets have shifted and only partially recovered, then yes, you may be struggling. If on the other hand, you are a professional, or work in the service industry related to the centers of employment – you are probably doing ok or well.
A key issue that Republicans refuse to touch, is that much of the economic growth has been concentrated in the 1%, even the 1/tenth of one percent. Keep in mind, Corporations are enjoying record profits and are not sharing that with their employees and so the middle class wages are static.
The economy is complicated and how to even it out or stabilize it, is also complicated. But keep in mind, there are no examples of trickle down economics ever working – so that should be considered a fail policy – can we say Brownback and Kansas.
Rick
Rick, sorry but that statement is half truth, if you are part of the aging workforce and particularly if you are an aging white male, your career left in 2008. We are not talking about low skilled workers here, many of us were throwing to the wolves. Don’t comment until you have walked a mile in our shoes!
Thank you
Local: Not entirely true. I am 62, and hang with mostly people over 50, though I have a number of younger friends I work out with. No one in our network (which is considerable) is out of work unless they have retired. Several were laid off due to the 2008 downturn and all if them are gainfully employed in well paying jobs. Does ageism exist in the high tech industry? Yes, but persistent generally pays off – particularly in the Bay Area or other centers of high employment.
Rick
Rick so that you know, I’m 62, I’m a tech, I have banged my head against the wall trying to get an employer to hire me since 2008! I was relentless, persistent with a vengeance seeking out work. It made NO different’ s what so ever reagrding the several jobs I put in for, I’m still out of work and it was not for the lack of trying.
Everyone is unique in their life situations, I for one own a home up here and I don’t and will not dare to take the chance with a corp/company job anywhere to jump from the skillet into the fire, been there and done it. 2008 did me in and that is a fact. Sounds like your one of the luckier ones, I know many that are not, some who have lost everything, be grateful and not so fast to judge.
Thank you
What’s a tech?-and does a ‘tech’ have to write their own resumes or maybe that makes no different’s-
I give credit to someone that’s a homeowner that hasn’t had a job in this decade that still manages to pay the mortgage-yea right
What’s the point of arguing the fate of some guy that made a huge error in his personal life in this article with people that just want to hate/blame gubmint for their own failures?
TeaTotal you seem ignorant, clueless really