Charter Oak Unified school board President Brian Akers was seen drinking a beer during a May 7 board meeting over the Zoom videoconferencing platform.
In a news release, members announced they have reprimanded Akers for violating the board’s alcohol and drug-free workplace policy.
“This is an isolated and unfortunate incident that was quickly addressed by members of our governing board, once it was brought to our attention,” board Vice President Gregg Peterson said in a statement. “As elected officials, we need to be transparent and hold ourselves accountable for our actions.”
The same release says Akers neither confirms nor denies his drink was alcoholic. But in a phone interview on Wednesday, Akers confirmed it was indeed a beer.
He said he went straight to the meeting after finishing dinner and took a few sips from the already opened beer without thinking about it. He added working from home via Zoom is a new experience for him.
“I didn’t give any thought to it,” he said. “I’ll apologize to anyone. It wasn’t intentional.”
In the district’s video of the May 7 meeting, Akers is seen drinking from a bottle at the 1 hour, 21 minute, 50 second mark.
“When we’re making decisions associated with the education of our children, we have to ensure we’re fully engaged with the conversation and not distracted by anything,” Peterson said in the interview.
Peterson would not discuss the details of Akers’ reprimand.
Akers’ consumption of alcohol during a board meeting didn’t sit well with some district employees or members of the community.
Greg Palatto, a district psychologist and an executive board member of the Charter Oak Educators Association, said the move set a bad example for students, especially those who have to watch these videos for civics classes.
“Kids are watching us,” he said. “The whole community is watching him.
And John Sitz, who graduated from the Charter Oak school system and has three children who graduated from district schools, said Akers should have known better.
“I was appalled when I saw it,” Sitz said. “Being the governing board president, he should know that’s not allowed.”
With meetings online because of the coronavirus pandemic, some agencies and school districts throughout Los Angeles County have had snafus beyond the technical.
At a virtual El Rancho Unified school board meeting in April, a board member was caught privately disparaging the superintendent on a live line. Some community members say it was a racist attack. She said she was actually addressing her cat.
One week later, an unnamed individual dropped the f-bomb at a Whittier City Council meeting.
And some city council and school board meetings have been bombed with pornography and profane images.
