TEXT OF LETTER TO BOARD PRESIDENT:
2 September 2014
DELIVERED VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
Kristi Swett, President
Salt Lake City Board of Education
2256 South King Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84109
Re: Fabricated Documents?
Dear President Swett,
While preparing for tonight’s school board meeting, it occurred to me that there are two versions of an extremely pivotal document in relation to the Lunch Room fiasco at Uintah Elementary.
On February 3, 2014, I sent an email to the school district’s public information officer, Jason Olsen asking him to provide me with copies of the instructions, guidelines and policies that he consistently referred to when speaking to the media.
In his reply he sent me (and the entire school board) a document titled “What’s Cookin[g]” that was dated Tuesday, November 19, 2013. Jason stated:
“The attached weekly update, sent to kitchen managers in November 2013, should give you the information you requested”.
On March 12, 2014, you handed out the same “What’s Cookin[g]” document in the school board meeting that night. You too, stated that it was given to the Child Nutrition managers in November of 2013. The minutes reflect that you handed out that document and it is now included as part of the minutes of that meeting.
In the version you handed out to the school board, there are appears to be two additional items
(see attached copy with red arrows that I inserted to highlight the implanted items).
Under the heading MANAGING SCHOOL CREDIT LIMITS someone inserted an additional number, so that there are five “communication standards” instead of the original four.
The inserted language states:
- 1. Know your school credit limit (view shared files: CHILD NUTRITION_SCHOOLS_/
School_Meal_Credit/Summary_of_School_Meal_Agreement.pdf)
Additionally, the following was also inserted in the counterfeit document:
3. c. Utilize the school’s Phone Contact Service to contact the parents of students who have a large negative account balance.
I was able to contact several Child Nutrition managers over the weekend and the ones that could, confirmed for me that the document they have, is the same one that Jason Olsen sent to the school board on February 3, 2014.
The one that you handed out to the school board and the public on March 12, 2014, appears to be an imitation of the one that was originally distributed in November of 2013.
I can’t say that I am surprised, but I am extremely troubled by this development. I have to ask myself; what else has been fabricated by the leadership of this school district during the course of this incident? Can you please explain to me why there is a need for this type of deception?
Shalom,
J. Michael Clára
Board Member, District 2
PDF of both versions of WHATS COOKIN