ADDITIONAL RETALIATION
The Emergency Manager notified the Board that he ceased providing stipends of $27 to Board Members for
special meetings they conduct, which he does not authorize citing the deficit. The Emergency Manager
stopped providing copy paper to the School Board members. Later, he did make some stipend payments,
but only for one meeting per month. He refuses to pay for special meetings, stipulated to in the Order by
Judge Berry, unless he authorizes them and approves their topic.
NO BENEFIT
The retaliation was unnecessary, provided no benefit to the students or to fiscal solvency by retaliating or
refusing the school board members the use of the School Board m eeting room. The $27 stipend is the only
pay Board Members receive. It amounts to a per diem for gas and copying costs since under Roy Roberts
they cannot use the large copy machine in the School Board office. The stipend is not a drop in the bucket
for their time considering the Emergency Manager received a $50,000 bonus.
ALTERNATIVE
As an alternative to intimidation, harassment and retaliation, the Emergency Manager could have discussed
the specific concerns of the Department of Justice Resolution with the members of the Board. He could
have launched an internal investigation and taken any findings of concern to the appropriate authorities or
communicated that this was being accomplished.
Regarding the scheduling of meetings, as an alternative to intimidation and retaliation, the Emergency
Manager could have worked in “conjunction with” the Board, per the stipulated order by Judge Annette
Berry. The Board defines “conjunction with” as in mutual cooperation.
Earley defines “conjunction” as permission from him granted topic by topic with punishment for the topics
he does not like. If the meeting room is empty on a requested date, the Emergency Manager could grant the
request to use the room on that date and allow Board Members discuss whatever topics they wish without
penalty.
Regarding the choice of topics, legal matters where Board Members are named parties, and issues brought
to their attention by the voters such as discussing the need or desire to file a Title VI because of
discrimination, retaliation, criminal wrong doing and negligence with Federal dollars is relevant and
necessary to the Detroit School Board’s sworn duty and the people’s expectation. Instead, he tries to get rid
of the Board altogether through various methods. Earley could have simply allowed them to discuss
whatever concerns they have.
Regarding nullifying the Department of Justice Resolution, Earley could have allowed the process of filing a
Title VI complaint to take place without interference.
Despite the communication from the School Board’s pro bono counsel, Earley continued to retaliate.
Darnell Early copied members of the Governor’s staff and legal counsel on his emails. He was clear in his
letter, and letters that have followed, that all actions to provide oversight to Emergency Management by the
75