Topic: More oh Dear! Posted 1st September on the Matravers school website

[justice]

Russell Hawker
Position statement

 As many of you may be aware, Russell Hawker, a member of Wiltshire Council and also a member of our board of school governors has expressed views about the Hillsborough disaster on his personal Twitter feed. His comments have given rise to a number of complaints, and to comments on web-sites and blogs. Many people have expressed their distress and anger about what he said.

As the head teacher, I recently issued a statement on behalf of the school and the governing board and made it clear that the comments made by Mr Hawker are entirely his personal views and in no way reflect the views of the school, and we wish to make it clear that we do not endorse or support his comments in any way.   The school is concerned that it is not connected or brought into disrepute through any association to this matter and is taking legal advice regarding its position. I would like to reaffirm my concern that the school does not endorse any of Mr Hawker's comments and would like to apologise unreservedly for any distress and offence that may have been caused by one of its governors, particularly to those personally affected by the Hillsborough tragedy. Please be assured that Matravers School does not support Mr Hawker’s position on this issue

[justice]

It clearly hasn't "just blown over" as some people, wrongly, assumed / hoped it would. 

[justice]

And you wonder why? Take one look at the "Twitter" account, or cuckoo blog as I like to call it for obvious reasons, some people never learn!

http://twitter.com/russellhawker

[Al]

Justice - I believe the schools latest statement is because Russell took umbrage with their previous one, so asked them to correct it. For a man who would like this to go away, he certainly likes to keep it on a tight lead and barking!

Its also the first day of term (for the new year 7s anyway).

[justice]

I believe "barking" just about covers it! 

[baldy]

It clearly hasn't "just blown over" as some people, wrongly, assumed / hoped it would.

I'm not sure where you got your "just blown over" quote from but it is not something I have said.
 
What I have said is that the wheels have fallen off the campaign for my resignation as a councillor. This is for a variety of reasons that would take some time to explain in full, but basically I've done nothing wrong that breaches any code of conduct and there is no mechanism to unseat or otherwise undercut a councillor just because of his views - whether controversial or not - unless those stated views are actually thoroughly improper and/or illegal.
 
Also, very few people signed the petition anyway ....
 
The views I expressed were never aimed at any named person and I did immediately point out that my views about the cause of the tragedy were not aimed at any victims. The fact that people have chosen to stir this up and to campaign about "offense" and "anger" simply is irrelevant as there is no law or rule against offending people - this is because people choose to take offence at almost anything and often for no rational reason at all except a political stir .... which is what has been going on here.
 
I think it is true to say that the one area where this matter has not yet died down is within Matravers School. This is for several reasons, including the following:
 
* The Summer recess only ended this week and there have been no meetings to discuss anything since July.
 
* The Headteacher and Chair of the Governors are improperly stirring the matter up for political reasons in the name of the school in an effort to create a situation where they can damage me as a councillor and either get me temporarily suspended or permanently removed as a Governor.  This game relies on the idea that whilst they think they can make false claims about me personally they also think I am not supposed to respond publicly to correct their smears about me and their other bad behaviour. They even think they should be allowed to proceed without me commenting at all internally or externally, which is basically straightforward bully-boy antics which I will not permit.
 
* The Board of Governors has been used to choosing who it wants appointed by County Hall to two seats on the Governing Body for a long time. The previous County Councillor covering this part of Westbury for about 10 years until I took over last year, Cllr Christopher Newbury, encountered great difficulty in dealing with the same Governing Body which has often operated in a highly political way. When a vacant Local Authority seat on the Governing Body came up earlier this year, I nominated myself for the seat - which I am fully entitled to do. The school nominated another person and the matter was then decided in accordance with the strict procedure laid down at County Hall. I was appointed .... and key individuals at the school have been bad-tempered and badly-behaved ever since ... and this shows clearly in the bad and improper behaviour that is being demonstrated in their own public statements.

[baldy]

Justice - I believe the schools latest statement is because Russell took umbrage with their previous one, so asked them to correct it. For a man who would like this to go away, he certainly likes to keep it on a tight lead and barking!

Its also the first day of term (for the new year 7s anyway).

Al
 
My take on the latest statement is that Chris Dark is stirring the matter up and repeating and re-emphasising everything (including the original false claim that I've been "censured").
 
It is not a response to me requiring the original misleading statement to be withdrawn, except in the sense that he mentions that legal advice is being sought. Unfortunately, the context of the way he mentions that legal advice is being sought suggests that he looking at what action to take about me rather than about the fact that he has behaved badly and improperly by playing politics and lying in public in the name of the school and whilst abusing his own position.

[justice]

Thank you for clearing that up Russell. As for the "blow over" comment I believe it was on one of your now withdrawn comments. It did not relate to the school just the issue in general.

Just one other question, if the school didn't or don't want you on the board, why would you stay?

[baldy]

Thank you for clearing that up Russell. As for the "blow over" comment I believe it was on one of your now withdrawn comments. It did not relate to the school just the issue in general.

Just one other question, if the school didn't or don't want you on the board, why would you stay?

I did not say exactly what you are attempting to attribute to me, though I see the general sense you mean it in.
 
I am taking a keen interest in supporting education and children as a Wiltshire Councillor. As a town and unitary councillor, I sit on numerous committes and bodies dealing with this subject. It makes clear sense for me to offer my services and deep knowledge about the councils (as Westbury's longest continuously serving councillor) to the school, which otherwise would not have had that level of expertise in-house at all.
 
Whether other Governors like that idea or me is totally irrelevant. I am entirely confident in my own abilities and I recognise what is going on for what it is. This will get settled in accordance with the Law ... whether others like that or not.
 
I was appointed in accordance with the democratic procedures established at County Hall, which is fully entitled to make its appointments to local school governing bodies in its own way (within legal limits).
 
 

[justice]

I did not say exactly what you are attempting to attribute to me

Think you did, but anyway....................

I see, so you stay on the board because you believe it's for the best even if the school doesn't?

Not sure you set a good example to the children by the way.........

[justice]

I see, so you stay on the board because you believe it's for the best even if the school doesn't?

[justice]

I am a successful councillor

And your successes are?

[baldy]

I see, so you stay on the board because you believe it's for the best even if the school doesn't?

Not sure you set a good example to the children by the way.........

Please explain this in the context of the Governing Body being made up of a variety of people who are appointed by various means in a democratic way (except a few who are co-opted) and the fact that anyone is entitled to their own views about matters that do not breach the law and do not interfere with the proper running of the school and which are actually not the business of the school at all.
 
Referring to me personally, I am a properly elected councillor with a completely clean Police record and an effectively clean record as a councillor (ie. I've never been found in significant breach of the code of conduct despite a serious smear campaign by some people over several years ... apart from one insignificant matter when I simply forgot to declare a personal interest at a meeting until a week afterwards when I wrote to correct that matter myself). I am a successful councillor and I have a record of standing up to nonsense. This is what I am doing now.  I also sit on numerous committees around the area with no problem at all ... except where some individuals have behaved badly when there has been an argument that has been settled in a  way that shows I was correct every time ..... !

[justice]

Think I've got my answer, ta.

[baldy]

I am a successful councillor

And your successes are?

This is not the place to go on about this  because I have been around a long time and it takes a very long time to explain it all. The fact is that I have won my seat as a councillor in hotly-contested elections ... and at the town council I came top of the poll (ie. out of all candidates in Westbury) twice - in 2003 and 2007.