If you’re on this page, you’ve likely noticed the disclaimer added to this website and wondered why I would explicitly add a statement regarding something so patently obvious. I was recently contacted by a supporter of the Carmel Excellence candidates who asked if I’d meet up to discuss this website. As long as my schedule will accommodate it, I will always take time to discuss our schools and public education with just about anyone, so I agreed. I also agreed to that person’s request to record our discussion for ‘the integrity of our conversation.’
Throughout our discussion, this person repeatedly accused me of stating opinion as fact on my site. They also attempted to get me to say that this site somehow harms Ms. Ferchmin or Ms. Clark. I emphatically reject both of those claims. I also realize that it is possible, even likely (in my opinion), that the person I met with was attempting to get me to go on the record as having met the elements of libel.
I hope this is not the case, not because anything on this site is even remotely libelous, but because I’d like to believe, perhaps naively, that I was just having a conversation about our schools with another member of the community.
Also, if it was an attempt to set some sort of trap, I want to explicitly note that this person did not purport to be meeting with me at the request of or with the knowledge of the Carmel Excellence candidates. While the person is a volunteer for their campaign, I have no idea if they contacted me at the request of the candidates or on their own initiative.
All of that said, baseless lawsuits are filed every day and I would just as soon not have to spend the time and effort to have one dismissed. Hence the new disclaimer to make explicit what was already extremely obvious to any reasonable person.