Lorain School Board members at odds over public comment

LORAIN – Two Lorain School Board members were at odds Monday evening after continued questions arose over the district's communications director position. Board President Courtney Nazario and member Mark Ballard had a brief exchange during Monday's Board of Education meeting after Lorain Education Association President Julie Garcia raised concerns about answers to questions raised at a March 9 meeting posted to the schools' website allegedly suggesting teachers do not work weekends, holidays or after hours. The original question, which has since been pulled from the district's website, asked why the communications director position paid $91,000 when teachers are not paid that much. The answer stated many staff work the same days as students, about 184 days per year, and have time off for Thanksgiving and spring and winter breaks, while central office staff are year-round positions. It stated the director of communications works more than 50 days per year beyond what teachers do, and that number "does not include the many nights and weekends required of this position." Garcia alleged the district's communication's director, Moriah Ballard, wrote that information. Superintendent Jeff Graham said she did not. It is unclear who wrote the response. Moriah Ballard's father, Mark Ballard, and brother, Mark Ballard II, are on the school board. Garcia said the statement was deeply offensive and dismissive of the professionalism of the educators in the district and the hours spent grading and planning beyond contracted hours. She gave examples of staff taking assignments with them on vacation to grade, and spending their own money to outfit classrooms. The elder Ballard told Garcia that she has been hostile ever since Moriah Ballard joined the district. "When you decide you're going to come to the mic, you talk to the board, you don't talk to our employees — just like we don't talk to yours," Ballard said. "... I'm sick and tired of us sitting here and allowing these people to bully decisions with our administrators, our board. Say what you want to say, you're not probably going to change our mind when you keep taking these cheap shots at our leadership." Nazario reminded Ballard that the board works for the community and that members of the public have the right to speak. He continued, stating he did not tell the public they could not speak, only that they were to address the board and not its employees. Nazario asked him to lower his voice, to which he responded for her to not tell him how to talk. "Our employees — not even our employees, our community members, they live in Lorain — they vote, they are allowed to speak," Nazario said. Ballard countered, "They're not allowed to be disrespectful." Nazario agreed, adding the board cannot decide what the public says. Ballard said, "We're going to match that energy." Later in the meeting, Lindsay Larisha, a teacher, noted there was a lot the district was doing that they were apologizing for shortly thereafter, and found it concerning central office staff did not find the answer to that question offensive before it was posted to the website. She said no one was mad at Moriah Ballard until she reposted a "nepo baby" video. The video, posted to her personal Facebook page and since removed, was a repost of another content creator's video about being a "nepotism baby." The term is often applied to the children of celebrities who benefit from their parents' fame or status. Mark Ballard II, Moriah's brother, disputed that the video is what sparked the disrespect toward Moriah. He said even before that video, individuals were attacking her credentials and the fact that she is fresh out of college. Moriah Ballard's hiring has been a point of contention throughout the district's budget cuts. She was hired in December, prior to her brother joining the board and her father abstained from the vote. Superintendent Jeff Graham previously told The Chronicle that associate director Lisa Roberson did not apply for the director role and that Moriah Ballard was the top applicant in every round of interviews for the role. Roberson's position was eliminated in the budget cuts. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.