Scottsdale Unified School District Board President Jann-Michael Greenburg refuses to resign after outraged parents discovered a dossier of personal information that he or his father had collected about parents he’d had conflicts with over Critical Race Theory, COVID-19 restrictions and other issues. The rest of the school board voted Greenburg out on November 15 at its meeting, appointing fellow board member Patty Beckman as interim president to serve for the remainder of the calendar year, but Greenburg refuses to resign from the board. Instead, he’s making plans to further his career by running for the board of the Maricopa County Community College District, filing his intent to run on November 3.
Scottsdale parent Tracey Davis said in an email to board members on November 23, “In a way [his refusal to resign] is good for those of us who wish to face him at the next board meeting and publicly identify all of the things that he has done against parents and students in our district. As one of “these f***ing people,” I plan to speak for the very first time about this. I am optimistic with a new board president that the previous decisions to limit our access and refusal to show video of parents on the YouTube stream will be reversed.”
Davis also informed the board that Greenburg appears to be no longer eligible to serve on the board. According to records at the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office, Greenburg purchased a home containing double master suites in Phoenix on November 15 as Jann Micheal Greenburg, a single man, along with Maxime CL Greenburg, a single man, and recorded it with a Legal Class of Owner Occupied. School board members are required to live in the district.
Davis cites the Arizona School Boards Association rule, “When notified that a member has moved from the district, the county superintendent can fill the vacancy by appointment or by calling a special election.” She asked the board to take steps to replace him, either by appointment or a special election.
Local conservative activist Merissa Hamilton reported that Greenburg retaliated against a mother who opposed masks for her child by filing a complaint about her with the nursing board. Greenburg voted for a mask mandate but was spotted in a bar without one and no social distancing in September.
A website was launched to recall Greenburg and another school board member, called Parents Push Back. Vice-President Julie Cieniawski has remained silent about his behavior, prompting a recall of her as well.
General recall efforts began in August and included school board member Dr. Libby Hart-Wells. The petitions said, “Parents are not allowed to have a voice in the upbringing, education, health care, or mental health of their children” because of board member decisions.
Specific concerns included, “Pressure for vaccinations when ZERO healthy children have died from Covid19 and children quickly overcome and are not at risk,” “Masks without choice,” surveying children about whether their parents owned guns, and a Black Lives Matter video.
Scottsdale Unified School District sent a letter to parents on November 10 informing them that the dossier is “not within the purview of the Scottsdale Unified School District to control and are unrelated to the district’s task of providing [education].” The letter asserted that the Google Drive with the dossier belongs to Greenburg’s father. However, school officials hired an outside investigator to determine whether school resources were used to create the dossier.
The Scottsdale Police Department is investigating the dossier. Scottsdale parents are holding a rally on November 30 with Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake to call for Greenburg to resign.
– – –
Rachel Alexander is a reporter at the Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jann-Michael Greenburg” by Scottsdale Unified School District. Background Photo “SUSD Governing Board Special Meeting” by SUSD.
