Warner Asks Report On Mcpherson's Trip

A full report frqfof School Supt R Bruce McPherson oifthe Mildred Bautista controversy will be available to the public on Monday, June 5, Ann Arbor Board of Education President Cecil Warner said today. That report will be discussed at the June 7 school board meeting. Warner also revealed in a three-page statement that Philip Mcllnay, deputy superintendent for planning, has been instructed to respond to allegations that he might have known that Miss Bustista's redentials were false. Mcllnay is supposed to answer that charge at a hearing before the board on June 5. Miss Baustista, assistant to the superinendent, resigned from her post May 26 ifter reports published in The News that ïer credentials were falsified were subtantiated. Warner has asked the community to 'reserve judgment until all parties have ïad an opportunity to make their reports niblic." He said he is "confident that f the decisions of the Board will continue to uphold the desires of our citizens." Warner's statement follows: "I've lived in Ann Arbor all my life and rarely have I seen emotions run as high as in the aftermath of the disclosure of Mildred Bautista's lack of credentials. As President of the Board of Trustees of the Ann Arbor School System I have been the focal point of public concern as to what actions are being taken. The fa ets are these: First, within nine days of the first report, Miss Bautista resigned from the school system. Second, the School Board reacted to the initial disclosure by contacting its legal counsel (Edmund DeVine) who advised the establishment of an orderly due process procedure that could be used by the Board in conducting the investigation. We in Ann Arbor have seen several recent instances where local government units have acted precipitously with the result that the cases went to court cause orderly due process was not used. The Board instructed Superintendent McPherson on May 22 to investígate the charges against Miss Bautista and report back on May 26. Third, at the May 26 meeting Miss Bautista's resignation was received and accepted. I did not open the meeting to public participation for several reasons. The issue at hand - Miss Bautista's qualifications to remain in our employ - was answered with her resignation. The associated concerns of how she was hired, why the trip to California and other matters, involved information that we did not then have. Fourth, at the June 7 Board meeting, I have instructed the Superintendent to I port on what was investigated in California, who was contacted, what was the purpose of including Miss Bautista and Mr. Mcllnay on the trip, what contribution did they make to the investigation, how Miss Bautista was hired, and er or not he had any knowledge or suspicion of Miss Bautista's falsification óf her records prior to the public disclosure. I h a v e also reque. sted the Superintendent to determine and report on whether Mr. Mcllnay was involved in the misrepresentation of Miss Bautista's credentials. Further, the Superintendent has been asked to present an evaluation of Mr. Mcllnay's own credentials. This report is to be available on June 5 at the Ann Arbor Public Library and the Administration Office so that the public may obtain copies and the public will have an opportunity to participate in the June 7th Board Meeting. As for the $3,000 travel money, I have instructed the Superintendent to give an exact accounting of the expenses of the trip at the same June 7th meeting. The Superintendent has returned to the Ann Arbor Board of Education $2,577.58. The balance of $422.42 represents his travel and subsistence expenses which the Board has indicated it will accept. This means the Board has been reimbursed for Miss Bautista and Mr. McIlnay's expenses as I recommended. Fifth, public charges have been made that Mr. Mcllnay did know that Miss Bautista 's credentials were false. I have instructed Mr. Mcllnay to respond to these charges at a hearing before the Board scheduled for June 5. Lastly, I ask the community to reserve judgment until all parties have had an opportunity to make their reports public. I am confident that the decisions of the Board will continue to uphold the desires of our citizens. There are questions of integrity, honesty and judgment that will be resolved in a few days. I appeal to the basic decency of all parties involved administrators, teachers and citizens - to suspend judgments until we have acquired all the facts in an orderly and jusashion."