Bolden relents on gay kiss but still stumbles

Kiss that caused an uproar

Newark schools superintendent Marion Bolden offered a written apology to East Side High School's Andre Jackson for blacking out the picture of his smooch with his boyfriend in the school yearbook, according to today's Ledger and New York Times.

Did she meet with him privately?

No.

But her spokeswoman went public with the assertion a tentative meeting had been set up. Jackson said he had not heard of a meeting.

Why wouldn't she meet with him first and issue the apology later?

This parallels some of the confusion that went on when Plainfield's former superintendent Paula Howard tendered her resignation. Reports were made that a meeting was set up between Howard, Board members and the County Superintendent.

Turns out the Board members were not notified, and the announcement of the meeting reflected haste and confusion -- if not disingenuousness -- by the organizers.

Moral of the story: Don't say something is going to happen if all the parties have not been asked or agreed to participate.

Bolden's reputation takes a double hit in my humble opinion: for blacking out the picture in the first place without reviewing the whole yearbook, and for flubbed crisis management.

Star-Ledger: "Newark relents on covered-up yearbook photo"

-- Dan Damon

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