April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

Hartland Consolidated Schools held their Board of Education meeting on March 13th and voted 4-3 to censure members Glenn Gogoleski and Greg Keller for controversial comments made on a podcast.

Many district parents made concerns after hearing Gogoleski and Keller as guests on a local podcast on February 19th called, “This is My Brain.” During the show, they discussed changes they'd like to see within the district, including how staff members handle students with behavior issues.

Gogoleski commented that he’d like to visit each classroom to watch students experiencing “meltdowns” and mentioned making a comment to grab students "by the scruff of the neck" as an inferred form of discipline.

Later in the episode, Gogoleski added he would like to see how far he could enter the schools without being escorted, making a claim to the school’s security.

Hartland District parents voiced their concerns during the heated Board meeting regarding violence, students’ safety, and Gogoleski and Keller's comments.

Keller mentioned he needed to re-listen to the podcast to catch the derogatory comments and said the hatred from parents is a “politically motivated attack” and an attempt at “cancel culture.”

Gogoleski defended his comments, stating that many of them were taken out of context. And for parents concerned with their children’s safety, Gogoleski said, “I want you to know there is a very easy way to find out what’s going on in your child’s school. If you complain but don’t ask, be quiet. Read school information sent to you. Know the resources available for your kids.”

In a board-approved resolution to rebuke Gogoleski and Keller, BOE President Chris Costa said, “The comments and actions made in the above-mentioned podcast were inappropriate and irresponsible. The board of education members mentioned above did not think through the possible negative consequences or impact this would have for our educational community and NOT speak for the board as a whole.”