the Fountain Hills School Board. You may have controlled the show you put on in the Learning Center on Friday, but if this case persists, may I remind you that the law of the land is “The accused has the right to face their accusers!”
Why was the public not allowed to hear the testimony of the parents who brought the charges against Pam Aister and why do they need their identity protected? Students’ 1 through 5 written statements should have been read out loud as testimony at this discussion.
Student 11 was not given the chance to write his testimony of the incident, but was questioned verbally by Gomez. She stated it was because she didn’t want him to feel like he was in trouble. Students 1 through 5 were allowed to give written testimony. Those five students were never made to feel they were in trouble by giving written testimony, but, somehow student 11 would have felt he alone was in trouble.
Why was the student who approached Pam Aister in the lunchroom and reported that five students were confronting student 11 not allowed to testify, either verbally or in writing?
If Gomez saw the incident through her office window, why did she not take some action if, as she stated, weird or strange things were happening on a school campus? What does her job description state as proper action in this type of situation? Do nothing?
Pauole states that students 1 through 5 felt threatened and they were nervous. I would like to know how student 11 felt in this situation.
Too many questions remained unanswered in this discussion to give a fair judgment. The learning center is not a courtroom and this was not a trial.
(Editor’s Note: The School Board was not present for the hearing, which was actually controlled by a hearing officer mutually agreed upon by both parties. Principal Gomez did not witness the incident in question through her office window. During testimony she was referring to other behavior she witnessed involving Student 11.)
