I have been reading postings about this situation and am amazed and what I read. If anyone would go to the lengths of suing someone over PTO, they OBVIOUSLY do not have the best interest of the children in mind. I don't believe that because someone doesn't follow Robert's Rules they need to be sued!!! If all parties would just take a close look at what is happening, hopefully one of them will open their eyes.

In what I have read, all parties seemed to have screwed up somewhere!! Can't you all just have a meeting (with a non-partisan mediator) and simply start over? Maybe the officers can apologize and agree to review Robert's Rules and maybe the "wronged" moms might be able to acknowledge some blame and withdraw a damaging lawsuit.

In resonse to NOT HAPPY, how did you know about the "secret" meeting if it was secret? Also, from my own experience, I send notes to the teachers to be sent home, some of which don't hand them out in a timely fashion. It doesn't mean I am leaving anyone out!!

The President and his board should also realize that this is ultimately going to hurt the children and as President, he should ALWAYS have the kids first in his mind! He should be a bigger man and apologize - your school does not need a lawsuit.

If anyone of you can't be in the same room to start over without yelling, then maybe you shouldn't be allowed to work with children anyway!

I think it is a shame that anyone would EVER sue a PTO for ANY reason, because that will, WITHOUT A DOUBT, hurt the children!

I wish you all the best of luck and hopefully your PTO will not be absolved and no one will be sued!

P.S. I am President of a very successful PTO, that has been successful for many years. I am also guilty of holding fundraiser checks for over a month, so the treasurer could make one big deposit (I was waiting for stragglers!) It never occured to me that I should of been punished! I didn't even have anyone complain! (I hope I won't be sued!)

Hi Tim,

There is no wounded pride. We both have enough things going on in our lives that the PTO is not the center of our life and never wa.

What this will boil down to is your right as a PARENT and where some people want to draw the lines. I will continue to ask questions as a PARENT AND A HUGE TAX PAYER.

When you take an office in any organziation you are open to questions at any time of the day and should be ready for what comes with it. But the lines has to get drawn some where that if procedure was followed none of this would have happened.

Deep breaths, folks.

I'm sure the "mom" is really, really hurt and fighting mad. And -- granted all transpired as described -- it sounds like the officers in question have done a bad job in this situation.

But let's put this in perspective. Everyone involved needs to take a step back. And if everyone won't, then someone has to be the big one and walk away. If this became a court case, it would be a leading contender for: biggest waste of money and time and court resources of the year. And there are typically a lot of contenders for that prize.

As a bull-headed Irishman, I understand how difficult it is to walk away when one knows/feels passionately that one has been wronged.

But what would blowing this up into a huge issue accomplish? Does the mom in question want back on the board to work with the folks who've wronged her? That sounds like fun.

Do we want a school up-in-arms with parents versus parents, completely taking away any chance at building community and doing great work for the kids and the school?

If the mom in question wants to stay involved, I hope she will. And if she's right-minded and committed and strategic, then i bet she can make change by getting more and more folks to see why it's important to run well.

Or she can move on and put her passions and skills to work on another front.

But a lawsuit because we have a personal disagreement at PTO? I just don't see it -- unless the only goal is to "get back at 'em" due to wounded pride.

Tim

A law suite of LIBEL is for deformation of character to the current officers. There is a difference in being 1. PARENT 2. TAX PAYER 3. A MEMBER OF A PTO when you ask questions about the educational expereience that your child has or should have in your school. As a PARENT you have the right to call your school district (any area) and question WHO, WHAT, WHY HOW, WHEN for education and that is what these two moms did. When these questions were asked, they did not involve the PTO or other members, but the moms personal children.

An an individual you have the right to a LIBEL suit when you have been misrepresented by others and not given the proper trial or the rigt to assembly. What this boils down to is PROCEDURE, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. We all have to follow them either at work, in society or the rules you set at home for your family.

You question, "So--you can sue someone for not following RRO--is that what you are saying". Any organization has by-laws that usually fall back to Roberts Rules-when Robert's Rules have not been following you have a right under any circumstance to validate what has been done or processed. In this case, because the particular Articles where not followed and adding the deforamtion of character that is where a LIBEL suit comes into play. You are absolutely correct in saying there are other ways about fighting about this, but those options were never given to the moms.

I think it depends on the degree to the libel and slander that the 3 officers took against the secretary and "mom". By naming anyone specifically, an individual puts themselves at risk of being accused of slander & libel.

I agree that all parties should think of the children involved. It sounds to me that an apolgoy is due from the 3 officers that acted prematurely. Was the principal in agreement with the actions taken by the 3 officers?

Sometimes PTO officers take on a "godly" position and think they have rights above and beyond other parents within the school. That is simply NOT true.

If the 3 officers took ANY action without first trying to talk to the secretary and "mom", I believe they were totally wrong. We are all adults. The main objective should be to resolve the matter, not get rid of parents active in the PTO. Active parents are too few and far between to just vote out so immaturely.

[ 02-03-2006, 11:14 AM: Message edited by: Rockne ]

AS AN OFFICER OF A PTO ORG, I HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH MY SHARE OF UNRULY MEMBERS WHO REFUSED TO OBEY BYLAWS SET FORTH BY THE PTO AND RULES SET FORTH BY THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND IN EVERY CASE, THE MOTIVES FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR WAS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST FOR OUR CHILDREN BUT FOR THEIR OWN SELFISH, EGOTISTICAL SELVES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR BYLAWS STATE, BUT IN ORDER FOR A PTO TO HAVE TO RESORT TO DISMISSING ANY OF ITS MEMBERS BY (I WOULD ASSUME) A MAJORITY VOTE, THEY WOULD HAVE HAD A JUST CAUSE.
YOU BOTH MIGHT WANT TO SIT BACK AND TAKE A GOOD, LONG LOOK AT YOURSELVES AND YOUR TRUE INTENTIONS FOR THIS ORGANIZATION--HAS YOUR EVERY ACTION BEEN DONE FOR THE GOOD OF THE CHILDREN OR FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL GAINS OR POWER STRUGGLES?
ANY PTO PARENT OR MEMBER, IN MY OPINION, THAT IS THREATENING A LEGAL SUIT WHICH CONCERNS AN ORGANIZATION SUCH AS THIS, HAS OTHER SELFISH AND EGOTISTICAL MOTIVES AND PROBABLY SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THIS TYPE OF ORGANIZATION FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN AND THE SCHOOL.
FURTHERMORE, KEEP THIS IN MIND--HAVING A PTO OR PTA AT YOUR CHILDREN'S SCHOOL IS A PRIVILEGE GRANTED BY THE PRINCIPAL AND HE/SHE HAS THE RIGHT TO DISBAND THE ORGANIZATION IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
MY ADVICE--THINK OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CHILDREN INVOLVED. YOU MAY BE THE CAUSE OF A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION BEING DISBANDED BECAUSE OF AN EGO.

[ 02-03-2006, 11:14 AM: Message edited by: Rockne ]