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Joan Schine recall, Westport Public Schools, Connecticut (1970-1971)
| Joan Schine recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 1971 Recalls in Connecticut Connecticut recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Joan Schine from her position on the Westport Public Schools school board did not go to a vote in Westport, Connecticut, after the Superior Court for Fairfield County ruled that Westport's recall provision did not apply to members of the Westport Public Schools school board.[1]
Recall supporters
The recall was organized by the Recall Committee of Westport, which was led by John C. Gilmore. Organizers began the recall effort after Schine cast the deciding vote in favor of a plan called Project Concern, which allowed 25 Black children from Bridgeport to be bused to Westport. In a letter, the Recall Committee of Westport said, "the smokescreen of Project Concern is being used to alter the quality and character of all our schools. We are against this. You may not be; but we are sure you agree with us that the school board should not be allowed to decide the fate and future of this town." Organizers said that Schine refused to hold a referendum on the project.[1]
Recall opponents
Schine said, "The use of recall is being presented by its proponents as a substitute for referendum, a measure not possible for school boards under Connecticut law. But government by referendum, even if legal, is not only unwieldy, it would be far less satisfactory than the delegation of responsbility to duly elected citizens."[2]
First Selectman John J. Kemish said, "A petition for recall is generally based on a claim of misconduct in office, not on disagreement with the judgment of the officeholder," and "If recall elections can be petitioned because of disagreement with properly authorized decisions, legally taken, then such elections could become the order of the day."[2]
See also
- Ballotpedia's Recall Report
- Westport Public Schools, Connecticut
- Recall campaigns in Connecticut
- School board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Zimmerman, J. (2013). The Recall. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. (pages 93-94)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 New York Times, "Drive to Race School Board Head Divides Westport," accessed August 22, 2024
