The Waxahachie ISD Superintendent was accused Friday of excluding women from two events where women claim men received preference on Thursday.
Former teacher Gail Harrell said Superintendent Jeremy Glenn told her that a morning breakfast meeting friends had invited her to attend was a men’s event.
“As I started to go in, Dr. Glenn, who I know and respect, came up to me and said, ‘This is for men only.’ And I’m sure I had a look of shock on my face because this is 2018,” Harrell said.
Harrell posted a photo from the restaurant on a Waxahachie ISD Facebook group page that received many comments.
A Waxahachie school spokesperson initially said there was no story and declined an interview request with Glenn. But Glenn agreed to talk later after meeting NBC 5 in the Administration Building parking lot.
“Oh no, that’s not correct at all,” Glenn said. “Gail is awesome. She’s an incredible teacher. We welcome everyone to every event we’re doing. Kind of like Muffins for Moms or Donuts with Dad. This happened to be a men’s group. She was welcome to come in and I let her know this next Wednesday, we’re going to be hosting a similar one for women.”
Harrell said there was no doubt that she was being excluded.
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“And for anyone to say that is not what happened, is dishonest. I am not a dishonest person,” she said.
A woman who is a Waxahachie school board candidate said three male candidates were in that morning breakfast and that the superintendent later escorted the men on a tour of the new Waxahachie High School which is under construction.
Shannon Moyers said she and two other female candidates were invited for their tour by an assistant superintendent who escorted them.
Moyers posted on Facebook that she was surprised to see the three male candidates with Glenn.
“We felt slighted. It was the perception that the women were excluded,” Moyers told NBC 5 by phone Friday.
Candidates Kim Kriegel and Melissa Starnater were also on the tour with the assistant superintendent.
By phone, Kriegel said she felt the men were shown preference.
“Anything that we do should not promote one candidate or another. It should be inclusive of all the candidates,” Kriegel said.
Starnater did not return a message from NBC 5 Friday.
Glenn said he has been taking many people on tours of the new high school and other women were included in the tour he gave with the male school board candidates Thursday.
“I want to be an ambassador of the school district, I want to promote the amazing things that are happening in our district,” Glenn said.
He denied that Waxahachie ISD leadership is a boys club.
“Absolutely not. Waxahachie is a diverse, inclusive community. It’s a great place to raise your kids and I’m happy to be a part of it,” Glenn said.
All five current Waxahachie ISD school board members are men. Five of the eight candidates seeking three At-Large seats up for election in May are women.
Harrell said she is not taking sides in the election but does want to promote inclusiveness.
“It incensed me to think that we have to continue to hold separate boy girl meetings for issues regarding taxes and education in schools,” Harrell said.
A bond referendum to build a new Waxahachie Elementary School is also on the May ballot.
