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OPS Board Votes To Keep Freddie Gray

Freddie Gray remains the president of the Omaha School Board.
Monday night, more than 200 people poured into the district headquarters meeting room to see how a No Confidence vote would go.

Posted: 6:17 PM Aug 6, 2012
Reporter: Brian Mastre

Freddie Gray Stays

Freddie Gray remains the president of the Omaha School Board.
Monday night, more than 200 people poured into the district headquarters meeting room to see how a No Confidence vote would go.

Four of her colleagues voted to strip her of the leadership position. It wasn't enough. Eight votes were needed.

Gray and the district attorney have been under fire for allegedly withholding information in connection to newly hired Superintendent Nancy Sebring. Sebring eventually resigned following public revelations regarding racy emails she sent to her married lover from her school account as superintendent of the Des Moines Public School District.

Nancy Kratky, Sandra Jensen, Kersten Borer and Justin Wayne voted to take away the president position.

"I've never heard her call it a mistake," said Wayne, who believed the board needed to send a message about honesty to the tens of thousands of children in the district.

"We need to work with each other and get this solved," said Shirley Tyree who voted in support of Freddie Gray.

While there were more than 200 people in attendance, 17 people addressed the board for close to an hour.

Jesse Statham said it was about mending relationships with the community. He said the decision facing the board was about "dishonesty" and "deceit."

"I don't think it's good to throw out someone on the first mistake," said James Enright.

Ron Kaminski said that even if she did what was alleged, "It was to save Omaha and OPS as a whole."

Ellen Platt told the board that there needs to be new leadership because even in the best case scenario, Freddie Gray is naive and misguided.

Learning Community member Ernie Chambers said this scandal "isn't about racism or sexism, but about honesty."

Willie Barney told the board to keep focused and move forward. "The media has created a false crisis."

Former Ralston schools superintendent Virginia Moon has been named interim superintendent for OPS.

Gray's term as president runs through the fall. She is up for re-election in November.

After the marathon board meeting, Gray tells Channel 6 News that she does not worry about losing her effectiveness as a leader. "I know that I'm a good leader. I know there's some people that may have questions and I will work with them as I always have...I know that what I did was based on the best information I had at that time and on the advice I was given."