Stillwater: Hoffman on Junker Issue: No Comment

Yesterday I received an email that is the first official response I have ever received to my question about School Board member "Choc" Junker. Below you may read the question I asked of School Board members George Thole, Chris Kunze and Nancy Hoffman; the response to the question sent to me by Ms. Hoffman, and my response to her.

Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:57:59 -0800 (PST)
From: "W Prendergast"
Subject: Question about "Choc" Junker
To: Nancy Hoffman

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Dear Ms. Hoffman:

On a scale of one to ten, with “ten” representing “fully functional” and “one” representing “severely impaired,” how would you rate the current mental capabilities—including the ability to concentrate on and understand issues before the School Board—of School Board member “Choc” Junker?

Please be sure to answer the question with a number—1 to 10. If you fail to do so, I must take it that you are evading the question and would rather not answer it.

Please reply to this email address (my email) at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely
William J. Prendergast



Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 14:39:03 -0600
From: "Nancy Hoffman"
To:
Subject: Re: Question about "Choc" Junker

Dear Mr. Prendergast,

I believe you sent this exact email or had a conversation with our
current Board chair Mr. Thole it seems about a month or so ago.

I invite you to call me on the phone if you would like to discuss
pertinent school board issues. The question below is not about the
condition of our school district but is a question about the integrity of one
of my fellow board members. My comments could be considered slanderous
in any way that I would respond and believe that our lawyer would ask
us to refrain from answering such a question from any public citizen.

You could perhaps contact administration if you have some knowledge or
concerns that I am not aware of.

Sincerely,

Nancy Hoffman, School Board Treasurer


Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 18:45:03 -0800 (PST)
From: "W Prendergast"
Subject: Re: Question about "Choc" Junker
To: "Nancy Hoffman"

Dear Ms. Hoffman,

Thank you for addressing my question. You are the first and so far the only person to do so. Contrary to your understanding, I have never exchanged views with School Board Chair George Thole on this issue; he has yet to reply to any of my emails and we have never discussed the matter in person or over the phone.

I disagree that comments by you on this matter "could be considered slanderous in any way that (you) would respond." For example, I believe that you could vouch for a school board colleague's health by answering my question with a "ten" and that this would not constitute slander or libel.

Please note that my question is not about Mr. Junker's integrity (which I have never had reason to doubt); my question was about your opinion of Mr. Junker's current health and implicitly about his ability to fulfill his duties as a school board member. Please also note that the question I asked you is indeed a "pertinent school board issue" and does concern "the condition of the school district" because Mr. Junker regularly votes on important issues directly affecting the district.

Thanks again for your response.

Sincerely,

Bill Prendergast

Hoffman makes it clear that one reason she won't answer the question is because she doesn't wish to court legal trouble by expressing an opinion on the matter. Still no reply from Kunze or Thole, so we are left to speculate on why they won't answer.