APS' "hostile work environment" to be investigated

That's the good news; there will be an investigation of Asst Supt Ruby Ethridge's allegation that Supt Winston Brooks has created a "hostile work environment" for her, and by logical extension; every other employee of the APS.

The bad news is that the "investigation" will be done by one of Brooks' subordinates, he will be found "innocent", and the results will be kept secret from stakeholders. He will claim, it is a personnel matter.

Ethridge's chances of prevailing in court are slightly better, though if there is anyone who can suck the justice out of the Justice System, it is APS/Modrall and their unlimited budget for litigation against the public interests.

The last time an independent investigation was done of APS' hostile work environment, the Council of the Great City Schools auditors wrote;

APS has a "culture of fear of retribution and retaliation ..." (emphasis added)

Since a hostile work environment ultimately impacts students, it is worthy of a real investigation.

One would look first to the Journal for that investigation. They have a couple of "education" reporters, either of which could determine in short order, the veracity of the current complaint.

They won't of course, because Journal Editor Kent Walz has no stomach for investigating and reporting upon the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS.

His preference for the diametric opposite, is illustrated by the effort that he and School Board President Marty Esquivel went to, to get Brooks a NM Foundation for Open Government Award as a "champion of transparency" at the same time Brooks was, is, making a mockery of NM FOG's impotence in getting him to surrender the public records of an impartial investigation into corruption in the APS Police Department.

His diametric opposition to any real investigation is further highlighted by his refusal to investigate and report upon the fact that hundreds of whistle blower complaints, some against Brooks specifically, are being deliberately denied due process. It is further illustrated by the fact that he won't tell readers that both Brooks and Esquivel have abdicated as role models of the APS student standards of conduct.

Yeah, there will be an investigation; just not much of one, and it won't be done by our "newspaper of record" even in the face of the upcoming school board elections.




frame grab Mark Bralley