Bay Area school district members' hot mic comments about parents prompt backlash

ByAmy Hollyfield KGO logo

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Parents want Oakley school board recalled after hot mic comments

A petition is growing for members of the Oakley Union Elementary School District to resign after some of them were caught on video making inappropriate remarks about parents during a meeting they thought was private.

OAKLEY, Calif. -- Some members of a school board in Northern California were caught making controversial comments about parents during a portion of an online meeting they thought was private but wasn't.

In the video, board member Kim Beede uses expletives in talking about parents. The board also talks about making parents call in and record their public comments rather than making them appear live in a meeting and the recording would cut them off at exactly three minutes.

Board member Lisa Brizendine said in the video that the public forgets that there are real people on the other side of the letters.

"They don't know what goes on behind the scenes," said Brizendine. "It's really unfortunate they want to pick on us. They want their babysitters back."

Parents are upset and there is an online petition calling for the board to resign or be recalled. One parent said in the comments of the recall petition: "My kids deserve better than this violent and uncaring bunch of bullies."

FULL VIDEO: Oakley school board caught making controversial comments about parents