Bertrand out as Bremen Twp. School Board president
BY BOB RAKOW Correspondent January 9, 2012 10:24PM
Kathy Novak (left) and Deborah Stearns, appointed trustees of the Bremen Township Trustees of Schools board, became board secretary and president, respectively, during the group's Jan. 9. meeting. | Matt Marton~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 11, 2012 8:22AM
Joseph Bertrand Jr. was replaced Monday night as president of the Bremen Township School Board after declining to be nominated for another term during the board’s quarterly meeting.
A new board member, Deborah Stearns, president of the Bremen High School District 228 Board, was elected president of the township board by a 7-2 vote.
Bertrand and Julienne Mallory cast the “no” votes. Board member Kay Giles did not attend the meeting at Tinley Park High School.
The change in board leadership follows Friday’s special meeting at which seven newly appointed members unanimously voted not to challenge a new state law that resulted in their appointment and control of the township school board.
Bertrand, Mallory and Michael Duggan, the board’s other elected member, did not attend Friday’s meeting. Bertrand said he canceled the meeting Friday afternoon for lack of a quorum after Mallory and Duggan said they could not attend.
Bertrand on Monday said he had concerns about Friday’s meeting and “any actions that were taken that day.” Mallory also questioned the legitimacy of Friday’s meeting, saying she did not oppose the new board members, but “I don’t want a coup to occur. I don’t want litigation to occur.”
It was concern over excessive litigation that led officials of the seven school districts served by the township school board to push for the new law, in which a school board member from each district is named to the township board.
Under the law, each of the elected members will leave at the end of their term, with no further elections held. Bertrand’s term runs out in 2013, followed by Duggan in 2015 and Mallory in 2017.
The movement for the new law arose after the township school board became involved in multiple lawsuits, including one in which the affected school districts successfully sued to prevent the board from spending $220,000 for Bertrand’s legal fees.
Officials of the seven districts became alarmed at how much money the township board was spending on lawsuits, money that could otherwise be spent on educating children.
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