TVLSE, Okla. – The Tulsa Public Schools District continues to face grievances and scrutiny from parents like Aaron Griffith (Mvskoke). Just within the new year alone, Griffith has filed complaints against the TPS School Board regarding conflicts of interest, published an article suggesting a name change to a school building, and has been named as a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against TPS board members.
A long-time citizen of Tulsa and a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Griffith had previously filed complaints against the Oklahoma State Department of Education in 2023 regarding the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences (TSAS). Those complaints claimed that TSAS was noncompliant with Title I Parents Right to Know disclosure agreements, Title VI and Johnson O’Malley (JOM) parental involvement, as well as tribal consultation requirements. Griffith’s son attends TSAS, where his wife is also an educator.
TSAS Concerns
On Jan. 19 a formal written complaint was lodged by Griffith against the Tulsa School Board. The complaint claimed that the board violated school board policy 1102 regarding conflicts of interest. Griffith claims that TPS Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson and TPS Board President Stacey Woolley (Choctaw) violated this policy due to their titles held within the Council for Great City Schools as a member of the 2023 Michael Casserly cohort, and executive board member of the organization respectively.
Griffith has also voiced concerns on school safety. On Jan 31 a small grass and brush fire was observed near the TSAS property line, resulting in a school-wide evacuation. According to an email sent to parents, the Tulsa Fire Department was called to the scene and quickly extinguished the fire. The resulting damage included a couple inches of burnt grass along the fenceline.
Although TSAS did not receive any damage from the fire, Griffith still found the matter concerning. Griffith claimed the fire was started by a homeless person living in an underpass located near the school. As a result, Griffith requested TSAS contact Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and the Tulsa City Council to discuss new safety measures moving forward regarding municipal infrastructure.
Griffith recently got an article published that called for TSAS to rename the building it resides in, the Roosevelt building. Griffith claims the name is inappropriate because, “it is in direct conflict with the values, beliefs or best interests of the district or it becomes obsolete or inappropriate because of the community it serves or the programming it provides.”
The building is named after the 26th U.S. President, Theodore Rosevelt, who had infamously made the comment stating that nine out of ten good Indians are dead ones. The Roosevelt Administration also supported the allotment system and removal. The goal of these policies were to break up the structure of the Native American tribes and assimilate their citizens into American culture.
TPS Board Lawsuit
On Jan. 18 a lawsuit was filed by Griffith and two other TPS board members in Tulsa County District Court regarding the appointment of the district’s new superintendent. The suit’s first claim is that a proper, lawful search for a new superintendent was not conducted. The second is that the vote to instate then Interim TPS Superintendent Dr. Ebony Johnson as the new superintendent was influenced by decisions made in alleged backroom discussions between Woolley and former TPS Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist.
The lawsuit claims that the TPS board majority members’ vote to appoint the new TPS Superintendent, Dr. Johnson violated the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act (OOMA). Woolley, former TPS Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist and other TPS board members are named in the lawsuit as defendants.
In the lawsuit’s petition it states, “Defendants’ Majority Members conspired with Defendants’ President Whoolley and Gist to arbitrarily and capriciously manipulate Board meetings and agendas; including the vote to retroactively suspend and contrary board policy.”
The lawsuit alleges that in addition to the OOMA violation, the majority members did not conduct a proper search for a new superintendent, violating TPS Board Policy 1401.
One of the TPS Board Members listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, Dr. Jennettie Marshall had previously filed a police report regarding the OOMA violation in December of 2023.
When asked for a statement on the lawsuit, TPS released the following statement to Mvskoke Media. It states,
“It will take time for us to fully review (the lawsuit). We won’t comment on any ongoing legal matters. We have urgent work to attend to as a school district. Superintendent Johnson and Team Tulsa will continue focusing on the success and growth of the 34,000 young people in our care,”
TPS Native American Day Holiday
Griffith attended the most recent Tulsa Public Schools Indian Education Title IV Parent Committee meeting where he submitted a formal request to revise Policy/Regulation 3301-R. The revision regarded school holidays, particularly adding language to recognize the second Monday in October as Native American day. Although many schools within the district organize field trips to take students to the holiday’s festivities celebrated in downtown Tulsa, not all students within TPS have the opportunity to attend. If Griffith’s proposal is adopted into code, all Native American students within the district would not have to worry about missing class to celebrate the holiday.
The Title VI Parent Committee meeting only reviewed the proposal. For new policies to be written into code they must appear twice before the TPS School Board. The first appearance for information, the second for adoption consideration.
According to the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences Board of Trustees Regular Board Meeting agenda set for Feb. 13, items discussing the parental bill of rights and administrative safety and security recommendations will be discussed.
Griffith’s letter to the editor article on Roosevelt Elementary can be viewed here.
