Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper Ichabod Crane students, parents and staff turned out en masse February 4 for the Board of Education meeting to discuss allegations of inappropriate comments made by a board member about a student. According to an online petition about the incident, “In recent weeks” Board of Education member Jeffrey Ouellette made remarks described as “defamatory, reckless and unfounded” regarding a current Ichabod Crane student in “a public forum.” According to the petition Ouellette was asked to apologize and resign; he did apologize, but refused to give up his seat. The petition asks that Ouellette be removed as a member of the board and included the signatures of nearly 600 people. Board President Matthew Nelson read a statement at the start of the meeting saying the board in no way condones or supports "any derogatory statements made about our students,” but offered no details of what was alleged to have happened. Nelson also moved the public comment period to the end of the meeting, giving the audience members time to speak after the board completed its regular business. Ouellette, who attended the February 4 meeting, did not comment. The student's mother, Thérèse Wolfe, said the family had tried to work out the issue in private, saying they had many conversations with the school district, including with lawyers. She then asked the board member to apologize and resign. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.