Agenda - 11-15-2022; 8-a - Minutes

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17 1 every hand gesture to determine if a "protest" is occurring? 2 9 - Will the Sheriff's department have to spend time and resources responding to complaints 3 about "picketing," when they could instead be helping prevent and solve actual crimes? 4 10 - Since the ordinance claims that enrolled students are not subject to this ordinance 5 because: "such students are governed by school district rules and regulations," isn't it actually 6 the case that that statement can't ever be true on property outside a school's physical 7 boundaries, because the school district has no legal authority to control property outside a 8 school's boundaries? 9 11 - Given the words in Section 24-5(c)(1) of your ordinance: "Picketing on state owned or 10 federally owned property is not subject to the terms and prohibitions of this section," does that 11 mean that, because there are state owned roads adjacent to EVERY school (except one) in 12 Orange County, picketing is actually allowed by this ordinance everywhere you'd like to ban? 13 12 -And finally, does that therefore mean that the protest outside the Orange High football 14 event last fall and the parent handing out information near New Hope Elementary this spring 15 would be completely untouched by this proposed ordinance? (The two events cited by the OCS 16 Board and staff as reasons to push for this ordinance.) 17 He asked that the County Attorney answer all of these questions, in front of the public, during 18 the next BOCC Business meeting. 19 Tara Stewart asked the Commissioners to remove this from consideration forever. She 20 said that the previous school board has pattern of silencing and that they asked this board to 21 create this ordinance under false pretenses. She said there has been no evidence of laws 22 broken, etc. She said that law enforcement has said actions were legal. She said that passing 23 the ordinance will lead to increased instances with law enforcement caught in the middle. She 24 said that restricting free speech for everyone is not how to protect children. She said it is a 25 blatant violation of the first amendment. 26 Kim Pettineo said she is not asking the BOCC to solve school system issues, but it is 27 important for the context to be added. She said that the school board has consistently made it 28 difficult and sometimes impossible for the public to attend events or make public comment. She 29 said they are now trying to use law enforcement to intimidate and show favor to individuals who 30 supported the school board's views. She said the Board cuts off those speaking with opposing 31 views. She said they banned citizens from attending future meetings and in one case, because 32 of the way they were dressed. She said that in zero cases did board members respond to the 33 emails. She said that one member went out to physically intimidate parents on a public road. 34 She said this was sanctioned by the school board. She said the BOCC has been strung along 35 by the previous school board. She said that the purpose is not to protect children, but continue 36 the pattern of parent suppression. 37 Gretchen Schmid said she is speaking on behalf of Moms for Liberty. She said at a 38 school board meeting that many residents came to participate, but all but ten had to wait outside 39 the building. She said she attended the meeting and listened to those who were disagreeing 40 with decisions made by the school board. She said that people were upset with the overreach of 41 the school board. She said that Mr. Zachary spoke that night and that he is a grandfather whose 42 family has been in the area for over 200 years and a part of the Quaker settlement who taught 43 Black children to read and write and also helped many slaves escape on the Underground 44 Railroad. She said that he wore an indigenous costume to represent his Great Great 45 Grandmother who had been left with a white man in 1829 so that she would not have to walk on 46 the Trail of Tears. She said that part of the man's clothing included a hunting spear that 47 deputies confiscated and held at the library door during the meeting. She said at the Board of 48 Commissioners meeting on June 22 that Carrie Doyle and Patrick Abele presented reasons to 49 limit protesting at schools. She said there were three situations of protest and discussed two 50 school board meetings, with one being where the gentlemen was dressed in indigenous 51 costume. She said that the irony of these comments is that each school board meeting starts