Supporter defends school board president

Even as rumors swirl that a recall might be in cards over the hiring of Reno attorney Joey Gilbert, a campaign manager for Susan Jansen, David Burns and Katherine Dickerson is denying trustees did anything wrong.

On Thursday, Clerk-Treasurer Amy Burgans said her office has met with people requesting information about how to conduct a recall petition.

On Saturday, professional campaign manager Virginia Starrett took issue with The Record-Courier’s reporting, saying that no public meeting was even required to discuss the change in attorneys.

“The holding of a special board meeting was a generous action on the part of the board, especially since the very vocal and organized opposition group to the new majority on the board shows up and harasses the majority at every meeting,” she said. “Meetings have been taking up to eight hours to finish the agenda due to folks on both sides of certain controversial issues making public comments.”

Starrett claims that members of the opposition are creating chaos at the meetings.

“One concept that has become a mantra for the opposition is to state again and again that the meetings are not being professionally handled and Susan Jansen should resign in shame,” Starrett said.

Starrett defended Jansen, saying she didn’t curse at anyone at the meeting, despite Jansen’s admission that she did indeed call both a speaker and her son a “piece of sh-t” at the meeting.

“She did have a private conversation with a fellow trustee with her hand over her mouth in which she used some mild profanity, and her hot mic picked it up,” Starrett said.

Starrett also claimed that the video going on social media was enhanced so what Jansen said could be heard.

That’s why The Record-Courier reached out to Jansen on Thursday to ascertain what she actually said and when.

The subject of the slur was Sherry McGuffin, who was speaking on behalf of son Richie, who was working.

Husband Rich McGuffin supported sitting school board trustee Robbe Lehmann.

“After reading the statement, President Jansen covered her mouth and spoke into a hot mic, saying, “He’s a piece of sh-t and so are you,” McGuffin said. “As you might imagine, I took great offense to her words. Just moments before she had admonished the audience to observe decorum.”