Why take him out of the position in the first place?

He wrote a letter to the school board about legitimate public concerns and three days later he was put on administrative leave... how's that for violating the first amendment!!

he went to the superintendent with concerns, then to the board, the following week he was in leave...great way to show leadership!

That is still an outstanding question for which the general public may never know the answer to. The fact that they reinstated him tells anyone with an ounce of common sense that whatever the "infraction" was, it was not that bad. Personally, I believe simple personality conflicts and insecurity are the driving forces behind the actions taken. But that is just my opinion. Mr. Gray was at the board meeting last night and was able to hear all the testimonials regarding his skills, compassion, leadership, integrity, and dedication - all from students, faculty, GSHS extended staff, and parents. After 2 intense board meetings one thing is very clear - this gentleman is greatly loved, admired, and respected by a LOT of people on the Divide. It was WONDERFUL to hear the decision was to reinstate him to his Vice Principal position, one he has held for almost 4 years. I do want to commend the Board Members for listening to the input of the community, searching out the truth, and making an honest effort to evaluate the facts. I know this has been a very stressful situation for all involved. The great lesson in all of this is that a community really can make a difference. And if the new superintendent was paying close attention, she heard several "mentoring" opportunities noted for the new Principal...and I sincerely hope these "opportunities" are actioned in an effort to make this a win/win for everyone. I'm very glad this is now over and hope people now can focus on what needs to happen to keep moving Golden Sierra and this community forward.

Yeah, ok, in the time it took me to write my comment, 2 others commented as well. 4GoldenSierra and iknowthetruth2 pretty much hit the nail on the head as far as what we *heard* was the primary reason. The board never revealed the "formal" reasoning, of course, and they did have the district lawyer present at the meeting last night. As I've heard it, since the beginning of this school year, the administration began "citing" David for small things - he has never been cited before either as a teacher or as a Vice Principal. Anyone with any experience in the "real" world (which is the vast majority of us) could see right through what was really going on here. While there was no formal apology to David at the meeting, the fact that they voted 5-0 to reinstate him tells us alot. Mistakes were made and corrected due to the intense pressure of the community. At the very least we have sent a very strong message that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated without repercussions...it was mentioned at the meeting that a formal recall of certain board members may be attempted. I don't know where that will go, of course.

This looks like a win but it is not. When board Presidant Darcy Knight was asked directly if David Gray will return next year in his role of Vice Principal, her anwer was essentially, "we'll see." This is the same board member who was quoted in the Mt. Democtat article of March 1st “This was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make since I’ve been on the board,said Darcy Knight, board president and member for the past eight years, of the decision to place Gray on administrative leave." Yet Mr. De Pue in the above article and also at the last week's meeting said this was not a board decision. Sounds like the original decision to get rid of David Gray was made by one board member and the Superintendent.

Yes, 4GoldenSierra, I do agree it is not a win situation...yet. I DO believe the community sent a very strong message that this kind of covert behavior will not be tolerated or go unchecked. While Darcy did not state he would be around beyond the end of this school year, I believe they have no choice. They have essentially admitted a big mistake was made by the 5-0 vote to reinstate him. Unless something really major happens, they can't "relieve" him on the same feeble evidence originally presented. And the community will continue to watch this situation closely...if any more questionable decisions are made, I'm confident the community will respond. And I'm not just talking about decisions around David Gray...the community has lost confidence in the board and administration - all actions will be closely scrutinized and evaluated. But I do believe David Gray will focus on healing and moving forward at this point. I heard that yesterday he was pushing Ms. Nemer around in her wheelchair - she apparently suffered a fall on Thursday. While, personally, if I was Ms. Nemer, I would be just a little worried about the motives behind Daivd's gracious efforts to help her get around (I think of all the big hills around Golden Sierra and how quickly a wheelchair could go from 0 to 60 down one of them) and the fact that he would even help her speaks volumes to me about his true character and integrity.

I want to hear RIGHT NOW what this district has in store for Mr Gray!! Are they just trying to placate the groundswell following his forced departure? Does the board think the parents are so stupid that we will forget what happened this year come September??? I want to hear from these board members

In some ways this is a valuable lesson for the students, they have learned how to combat corruption, wrongdoing and unethical behavior first hand. It is tragic that a truly dedicated professional educator such as Mr. Gray has to go through this type of purgatory. Given the current climate of this country I would urge greater transparency and closer scrutiny of this school district and its' top administration. Frankly, my vote is for a formal apology to Mr. Gray and make him superintendent! We have seen his integrity.

Unfortunately David Gray has been a victim of innuendo and secrecy. He has been treated without respect and with vicious consequences by the superintendant, principal and it looks like the president of the board as well. This is an action that should not go without more investigation by the reporters of the journal and the parents. For example, is it true that the principal was fired three times previously and still hired by this board? Isn't it interesting that Mr. Gray has never been cited for anything in over 30 years until the arrival of the new superintendant and the principal? I wouldn't want to be the mother of a son in that school.As for Mr Gray wheeling the poor dear around in her chair, it seems he was "asked" to do that by the superintendant. Isn't that a misuse of her power since he isn't able to express any of his feelings or concerns at this time? This is like a male boss harrassing a female secretary in past years and that, I thought was illegal. There is definately something rotten in the district and needs to be expunged immediately.

NanaSS, where are you getting all this information? What is with all this bad propaganda about the administration? Do we really need this right now at this time of budget problems and layoffs? What are the students gaining from all of this?

To “doitforthe kidsplease”: At the School Board meeting on March 12th all the items mentioned by NanaSS were attested to by the speakers, maybe you didn’t attend …or wait…perhaps you couldn’t find the meeting do to the sudden change of time and location made by the “leadership” in violation of the 72 hr. notice required by the Brown Act. So let me enlighten you, as to the intent and purpose of the Brown Act:

"In enacting this chapter, the Legislature finds and declares that the public commissions, boards and councils and the other public agencies in this State exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of the law that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly. The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created." (California Government Code section 54960)

I don’t know about your children, but I know what our children are learning from this. They are learning to do what Americans should and must do when “instruments that they have created” are not responsive to the community they serve. They are learning to use their First Amendment voice as Americans to fight against injustice. They are learning that their opinion is relevant and that their voice as young people is relevant. They are learning responsible citizenship, which is what all Americans should want their nation’s children to learn.

Wow, 4GoldenSierratoo, thanks for the lecture but I really did not need it. Attending or not attending the board meeting does not mean that one does not understand what is happening. I, in fact support Mr. Gray and do not condone what the board and Superintendent have done. I am also very happy that he was reinstated and I believe that this issue does not end with his coming back. What I wanted to know is where NanaSS' statement, "As for Mr Gray wheeling the poor dear around in her chair, it seems he was "asked" to do that by the superintendant (sic)" came from. Did this come from either Mr. Gray or Ms. Nemer? Or was this some parent or student's opinion of what may have happened. This statement went around the community like it IS a fact that Tammy Gabel made Mr. Gray push the wheelchair. Anyone who belongs to this community knows that things said spread and get distorted so fast. This is not what I want my children and your children to learn.

Half of my children went to Golden Sierra and have gone on to pursue higher education. They are good writers, analytical thinkers and very open-minded as a result of the good education they got from their beloved high school. They were also very fortunate to have Mr. Gray as a teacher. They were as concerned as the current students, staff and parents were when they heard that Mr. Gray was put on administrative leave. And as free thinkers, they do know that they are entitled to their opinion and know their First Amendment rights. But because of education, my children and I know that in whatever we do, things need to be based on facts, not hearsay,and that we always look at things objectively. Yes, what happened in those 2 weeks of Mr. Gray's "administrative leave" may not have ended in his reinstatement. And yes, maybe the school board and the superintendent still need to answer a lot of questions. Maybe a change in administration need to happen. But if there will be a movement towards this, I am hoping that we move based on facts and not opinions and rumors. So, to everybody who put comments above, I hope all your children learn this, too.