More "Selective Disclosure" by Baraboo School District

Here's another example of selective disclosure by the Baraboo School District.
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Baraboo News Republic 1/15/07
School worker files grievance
By Brian Bridgeford

BARABOO - A longtime Baraboo schools employee is asking for arbitration after district officials offered her a new position her attorney claims was a sham.

The district's legal representative counters that the matter was dropped when the employee declined the offer, and she suffered no harm.

Jack Young Middle School administrative assistant Johann W. Mortimer has filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission. She has been employed by the district for about 11 years.

According to a statement prepared by her attorney, Jim Schernecker of Reedsburg, she was approached by District Administrator Lance Alwin on Oct. 20 and asked if she would make a voluntary transfer to secretary of the district's Buildings and Grounds Department.

Schernecker told the WERC that no such opening existed and the offer was a sham, not made in good faith and was a violation of the labor agreement between the district and its clerical staff.
The district is harassing Mortimer because her husband was an opponent of the recent school district referendum, Schernecker said in an interview. He is asking the school district to cease further harassment of Mortimer and for a WERC arbitrator to help settle the dispute. The grievance does not ask for any other compensation.

Mortimer said she did not want to comment on the grievance on the advice of her attorney.
The district's attorney in the action, David Rohrer of Madison, said the complaint is without merit because nothing happened to Mortimer.

"It was simply an inquiry," he said. "Since she did not express an interest, it was not pursued further."

The parties haven't yet selected a WERC staff member to act as arbitrator, the agency reported. Alwin said he could not comment on the grievance because it is a personnel matter and confidential.
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It's too bad Alwin refused to comment. It would be interesting to hear his perspective of how his "inquiry" was presented to Mortimer (ie: his tone, demeanor, body language, etc.), or did he send a cold letter by mail?

Why would Alwin "offer" a position to anyone where no vacancy existed? What about the person whose position Mortimer would have taken? How was Alwin going to address it? Did they receive a similar "offer" too? Was Alwin just trying to shuffle people around so he didn't have to address other labor issues?

Sounds like a desparate sham to avoid addressing other issues beyond the mere "offer" of a transfer. Have there been (Are there) other instances of this type of management in the district?

Where is the leadership?

This all points to desparation, vengence, and avoidance by Alwin. So, nothing new.