Gag Order Lifted: The Courage to Expose a Major Cover-up in the Fifth Largest School District in the United States

Gag Order Lifted

The Courage to Expose a Major Cover-up in the Fifth Largest School District in the United States

Essington Wade

Gag Order Lifted

The Courage to Expose a Major Cover-up in the Fifth Largest School District in the United States

Essington Wade

Copyright Essington Wade. 2012

Smashwords Edition

ISBN 978-0-9839887-5-5

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to all the men and women who have been falsely accused and no one in authority helped. It is not too late, innocence does not have a statute of limitation.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Humility

Chapter 2: Patience

Chapter 3: Backbone

Chapter 4: Firmness

Chapter 5: Persistence

Chapter 6: Endurance

Chapter 7: Fearlessness

Chapter 8: Tenacity

Chapter 9: What’s Next

Appendix A: Suggested Books

Appendix B: Suggested Web sites

Appendix C: Excerpt NRS 288

Appendix D: Excerpt NRS 391

APPENDIX E: Excerpt Negotiated Agreement (Article 3)

APPENDIX F: Excerpt Negotiated Agreement (Article 4) APPENDIX G: Excerpt Negotiated Agreement (Article 27)

About the Author

Acknowledgments

There are nine magnificent people who the author would like to acknowledge. They know who they are, and without them this book would not have been possible. Three of them were asked to edit this book, and they happily accepted and did an incredible job.

It is with much love and respect that I thank you!

Introduction

September 2, 2010, the day that changed my life forever! The events that occurred on that sunny day in Las Vegas, Nevada would turn out to be one of the most egregious experiences that I have encountered as an adult. I was the principal of an innovative online high school when I was wrongfully accused, and repeatedly denied representation from my union.

When I first encountered the injustice, I started exploring possible actions to remedy the wrong. I made a list, but nowhere on my list was authoring a book.

When I finally sat down after having many talks with my wife and friends, I decided to write a book. The single act of deciding to write a book changed the way I looked at my accusers. Everything I did regarding my case became material for the book! I stepped back and asked myself, Is this the normal way to deal with this situation? I answered myself, It is not the normal way, but it is the best way to reveal the truth.

I was gagged for the first six months while the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada claimed to be doing an investigation. I was given a formal directive from my supervisor not to say anything about my case. As of this writing, I was not given any evidence from the six-month long investigation.

I had no intentions of ever being gagged again; I did not want to settle for some undisclosed amount of money. I did not want the truth to be hidden in the Clark County School District’s vault of lies.

I spoke to an attorney eight days after I was ousted from my office. I was quickly awakened when the attorney told me, I would have to follow my negotiated agreement

Follow your negotiated agreement, would become my motto. While I sat at home planning and reading every policy and regulation about my case, I stumbled upon a book one of my friends had given me months earlier. However, one day when I realized I had read every regulation and policy; it was time to do something else. I picked up the book my friend gave to me and read it in two days. Coincidentally, or maybe not, this particular author had a picture of a torch on the cover of the book. It was as if the Olympic torch was handed to me, and at that moment, I got my second wind!

Gag Order Lifted provides you with hope that it is not what happens to you in this life that determines your fate, but how you respond to each experience.

Do not let evil people be the impetus for you to do evil. To love your enemies is one of the greatest virtues. Someone may have said that before, but it is worth repeating here.

I could be you, I could be one of your children, I could be another family member, or I could be a stranger. It does not matter how you identify with me. I am a human being and wrong should not be tolerated even if you don’t know the person who has been wronged.

I made a conscious decision to write Gag Order Lifted in third person so you can truly appreciate what happened to me. I wanted to have a conversation with you, the reader, about Essington.

I did not want to come across as a victim, but as a person who has been wronged and was able to write about the injustices.

Journey with me as I show you what courage looks like. Do not walk away from this book saying poor Essington. It is my hope that you walk away with a desire to stop injustice.

List of Abbreviations

CCSD- Clark County School District

CCASAPE- Clark County Association of School Administrators and Professional-technical Employees

CPD- Curriculum and Professional Development Division

CTO- Chief Technology Officer

EMR- Employee Management Relations

IT- Information Technology

LMS- Learning Management System

NCLB- No Child Left Behind Act

NRS- Nevada Revised Statue

PO- Purchase Order

SASI- Schools Administration Student Information

Chapter 1: Humility

Humility is the only true wisdom by which we prepare our minds for all the possible changes of life. George Arliss

Ousted

Imagine a day where you got up, made breakfast, had a cup of tea, dressed, and went to work thinking it would be a great day. When you were finally settled into the day’s activities, two men walked into your office and forcefully demanded you to hand over your work keys. They proceeded by saying, You will need to leave the premises immediately. They did not explain why you had to leave; they simply said, Make it quick.

This is not an imagined scenario; it is what actually happened to Essington On September 2, 2010. While Essington sat at his desk assisting a student, Mr. Jeremy Hauser, Academic Manager, and Mr. Thomas Axtell, General Manager of Vegas PBS, walked into his office like they were on a mission from the Secret Service. Mr. Axtell emphatically directed Essington to turn over his keys and his proximity badge. In addition, Mr. Axtell aggressively ordered Essington to hand over his user ids and passwords for the computer systems.

Baffled by the request, Essington was more concerned about the student that he was helping than what was happening to him. He asked What about the student? Mr. Hauser said in a firm deep voice, We need your keys, and I will have to escort you off the campus.

Essington was not one to lose control so in a very controlled fashion he closed his laptop, took his master key off his key ring, removed his proximity badge from its holder and placed the key and his badge on his desk. He placed his laptop into his carrying case and proceeded to leave. Mr. Axtell stood by the door in a Superman pose and blocked Essington from leaving. Mr. Axtell said, I need you to stay until one of the tech guys get here so you can turn your user ids and passwords over to him. Essington’s immediate thought was, you asked that there be a quick departure, now you block the doorway and make more demands. Suddenly, Mr. Dan Wray, Executive Director of Technology Services, entered the room. Essington told him that the lead IT person had all of his user ids and passwords. Mr. Wray calmly said, Okay. Mr. Axtell relaxed both arms abandoning his Superman stance and then moved out of the doorway.

Mr. Hauser escorted Essington down to the second floor, and followed him outside. While Essington was walking to his car, Mr. Hauser stated, You will need to receive a call from Mrs. Billie Rayford, Associate Superintendent, before you can return to work.

Essington got into his car and drove to the parking lot across the street. He was still a little shocked and perplexed by the action of the two men, but he remained calm. He called the Clark County Association of School Administrators and Professional-technical Employees (CCASAPE) office, and asked for Mr. Mark Coleman, a CCASPE Representative he had worked with in the past. The receptionist told him that all of the representatives were in trainings. Essington left his name and his mobile number for someone to contact him as soon as possible.

As Essington sat in his car, he knew that he needed to call his wife, but he wanted to contact his union representative first. So, instead of calling his wife he called Mr. Stephen Augspurger, the Executive Director of CCASAPE. Essington left a message for Mr. Augspurger to call him back immediately. He waited a few more minutes and called the CCASAPE office for a third time. A gentleman answered the phone, Essington asked for Mr. Mark Coleman again. The gentleman on the other end of the phone said that he was still in a meeting. Essington told the individual on the phone that he needed to speak to someone promptly. The gentleman on the phone said that Mr. Augspurger was on the phone, but he would have him call back within five minutes. Mr. Augspurger called Essington back in 24 minutes.

You may be thinking, wow, Essington remembered Mr. Augspurger calling back in 24 minutes not 25 or 30 minutes. Something extraordinary happened to Essington when he was expeditiously escorted out of his office on that sunny day in September. It seemed like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone, and his memory was enhanced fourfold. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. Even though this book was written a year after that dreadful encounter, Essington remembered every mind-boggling detail. Essington was always meticulous, but his memory was sharpened by that incomprehensible incident. It could be equated with a sudden traumatic situation where the senses become sharpened. Perhaps, Essington was simply in a state of shock.

Essington heard the mellow sound of a xylophone playing, which was his phone’s ring tone. He answered his phone, Hello. Mr. Augspurger said, Hello Essington, what is going on? Essington told Mr. Augspurger about the unthinkable way in which he was verbally manhandled and ousted from his office. Mr. Augspurger said he would call Ms. Fran Juhasz, Director of Employee Management Relations (EMR) to see if he could get an explanation. Mr. Augspurger also said that if he did not get an answer he would try and see Ms. Juhasz at the Board Meeting later that night. Essington informed Mr. Augspurger that he will be at the Board Meeting, because one of his students was scheduled to speak. In addition, Essington asked Mr. Augspurger if this criminal-like action seemed normal.

Mr. Augspurger said No! He added, In my ten years of working with the union I have only seen this three times, and the unlawful act had to do with threats to adults.

Essington felt he had enough information to finally call his wife. He called and said, Love, I was escorted off campus and I have no idea why. She responded, You need to stop joking.

Essington quickly affirmed, I am not joking. In his natural calm way he shifted to another subject. He asked, Love, I was planning to go to the Board Meeting tonight because one of my students will be presenting, do you think I should still go? With no hesitation his wife said, Yes, you need to go and support your student. Both Essington and his wife