Wendy Youngblood, Chair of the Brookfield Board of Education, is being investigated for an ethics violation alleged to have occurred at a meeting on Nov. 20, 2024, and concerns the discussion of a previous complaint made against Youngblood.
In September, Youngblood met with the head of the local teachers’ union, Dennis Petrino. This triggered the previous complaint, which alleged that Youngblood did not go through the proper procedures when arranging and eventually meeting with Petrino.
The complaint was heard at the Board of Education’s (BOE) meeting on Nov. 20.
Before the BOE would take up the complaint, there needed to be a vote. Youngblood voted against taking up the complaint, but the motion to discuss it passed anyway. Although Youngblood recused herself from the discussion, she remained at the table and talked at several points.
The complaint discussed at the Nov. 20 meeting called for Youngblood to be removed from her position as chair of the BOE. In addition to quickly clarifying some procedural questions, she spoke in her own defense before BOE members voted on a motion to ask her to step down from her position. The motion failed.
The complaint that triggered the ongoing investigation, which was obtained through freedom of information (FOI) requests that were shared with Inside Investigator, accuses Youngblood of violating the Brookfield Code of Ethics by voting on whether to take up the complaint, and then later by speaking during the discussion of the complaint.
Chapter 21-4 of the Town of Brookfield’s Code of Ethics state, “No officer/employee shall vote, act, participate in official discussion or give official opinions on matters in which he has direct or indirect financial or other personal interest.”
Youngblood denies wrongdoing.
“The line of reasoning submitted by the complainant to the Brookfield Board of Ethics is slanted, incomplete, and in some cases intentionally misleading. I will be participating in the hearing once it’s scheduled,” Youngblood said in an email. “The reality of the facts will be brought to light through the Board of Ethics’ procedures.”
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