Via Diane Ravitch…

Watch the fascinating video embedded in this blog post from Buffalo, New York. Kevin Gibson, the Secretary of the Buffalo Teachers Federation gets up to speak. Board member Larry Quinn (yes, the same board member who was texting as a high school student was speaking at a recent meeting) waves to a police officer and has Gibson escorted out of the Board room. He was not allowed to speak. Democracy in action. Under what interpretation is a representative of the district’s teachers barred from testifying at a public hearing of the Board of Education?

Here is the video of the incident…

Pay close attention to the body language, the facial contortion and the flicking gesture Quinn gives to the Buffalo cop when he tells him to give Kevin Gibson the hook. It’s as if he’s dusting a scone crumb from his turtleneck. Also of note is that Quinn again tried to deny his actions when confronted by Sandra Tan of The News of all people. Instead he made a weasel run implying that the cop took action on his own. He then follows it up by attacking Tan for reporting on his behavior classifying it as a minor thing. You see, to the Larry Quinns of the world, muzzling public input and curtailing the democratic process in a public meeting to suit your point of view IS a minor thing. All that democratic process crap does is let the little people run around inside the castle and shit everything up for their betters, you see.  And if you weren’t convinced the guy is completely clueless on top of being a pompous ass, he can be heard in a whiny sniveling voice protesting aloud  “I don’t go to their meetings and speak.” No, Lawrence, you’re correct, board members do not attend union meetings and offer their input. But feel free to try. I doubt the cops would throw you out. Only BTF doesn’t serve alcohol at its meetings. 

In lieu of the recall petition, which I am sure is forthcoming, I can only observe that “The Movement” for lack of a better word, is standing on Larry Quinn’s last effing nerve. In any fight there’s the moment where you go for the knockout or go home. I’d say it’s time we jump up and down on that last nerve and send Larry to the showers. You think he’d give you a break? Exactly.