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What Should the Penalty Be?

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Steve Gourley’s tyrannical behavior from the dais Tuesday night in the midst of an otherwise unremarkable School Board meeting merits punishment, I believe.

(See the video:  http://www.ccusd.org/apps/pages/starting at the 48-minute mark.)

My suggestion: Bar him from participating in a number of Board meetings, perhaps 4.

At least that would give colleagues and the community a respite from his vicious, indefatigable, carefully scripted campaign against Teachers Union President David Mielke.

Mr. Gourley seems determined to make Mr. Mielke suffer humiliation as the face of a union that filed suit against him last year for allegedly violating bargaining rules.

Mr. Gourley never has admitted that he was embarrassed by his evident draw in a state agency ruling last January in the case brought against him by the Teachers Union.

But that seems to have been the starting point, the day he assigned himself a license to not just step but leap over the boundaries of decent conduct.

His self-assigned explosions against Mr. Mielke and, more importantly, Mr. Mielke’s character, have become a sickening staple of every School Board meeting.

While some around Mr. Gourley presumably — hopefully — are appalled, no one, to my knowledge, has attempted to rein him in, privately or publicly.

He and I often have joked about unorthodox moments that have dotted his colorful career. The laughter is over.

His eyes bulged during parts of his latest tirade. He appeared ready to spring from his seat.

Shouldn’t that be an urgent warning sign to someone of higher authority?