School Board Is Stifling Dissent Against Redistricting

The school bullies are at it again. As usual, they are intimidating the weak and forcing the fearful to do their dirty work.

Schoolyard bullies? No, school board bullies.

The bullies are tightening their grip on the question of redrawing high school attendance boundaries in the western part of Fairfax County, ensuring that the public's true opinion is not heard and recorded by the county staff charged with surveying constituents' opinions.

That staff is scheduled to issue a recommendation to the Fairfax County School Board Jan. 10, based on feedback it gathers in three "town hall" public meetings held at affected high schools.

The board is bullying citizens by strong-arming communities into fights with one another over who gets to stay and who goes. It is classic bully behavior to frighten victims into allegiance with the bully.

At the first meeting, on Nov. 12 at Chantilly High School, the School Board was present, but its members refused to answer questions from the crowd of thousands who turned out in opposition to redistricting. The board was there to listen, not to answer questions, citizens were told. If that were true, they would have heard a strong message against redistricting.

Because the extent of the opposition was readily apparent to any observer in the crowd that overflowed the school's gymnasium and cafeteria, the School Board changed tactics for last Monday's meeting at Westfield High School.

For that meeting, the board prohibited a large gathering, where protesters could demonstrate strength, and attendees instead were whisked off to classrooms where, in small groups, the overwhelming opinion against redistricting could be hidden.

The board did not even make a token appearance, instead subjecting citizens to a video propaganda feed to televisions in each classroom.

How could the overwhelming sentiment be hidden, even in small groups? By refusing to accept commentary against redistricting, that's how.

Instead of acknowledging that sentiment, the meeting room facilitators discussed only the pros and cons of the four proposed redistricting scenarios the county has concocted.

They will now point to the fact that attendees registered opinions on these scenarios when in fact, the community wants no change. But that option was left off the table.