Brooks continues to quote fellow Robbinsdale School Board member's late father

Director Sharon E. Brooks has been quoting Director John Vento's late father. Vento has called this behavior "disrespectful."

At the end of each business meeting, members of the Robbinsdale Area Schools Board of Education get a chance to share what they've been up to and draw attention to various topics. Brooks recently used part of her time to read a quote from Bruce Vento, who is a late Minnesota congressperson and John Vento's father.

"We must think rationally about systems and act locally to link the trails and make the system happen," Brooks said, attributing the quote to Bruce Vento.

This is not the first time Brooks has quoted Bruce Vento. Notably, Brooks quoted Bruce Vento in January when the board was determining who would become chair.

“We must put in our time every day to try and achieve and learn so that we can try to develop our talents. And each of you, thank goodness – me too – have special talents. Each of you are special persons," Brooks said, again attributing this quote to Bruce Vento.

John Vento had reacted to this quote.

“I appreciate Director Brooks invoking my father’s name tonight, but understand the context of what that statement was made in,” Vento said. “That was one of the last public statements my father ever made, at the dedication of Bruce F. Vento Elementary School in St. Paul. And there was more to that quote. ...Yes, my father was speaking to these young children about the potential in them. But it was also about coming together. And I think the point was missed tonight. We as a board, why we’re going through mediation, what the future holds for us, we have to come together.”

Vento ultimately voted for Bowman, who was elected chair.

At the Sept. 16 meeting, John Vento was visibly quite upset, saying this is the third time Brooks has quoted his father.

"Someone intends to continue to try and goad me into reacting to them at this table," he said.

Vento continued, saying "It's offensive and it's insulting not only to me but to my children, my wife, my father's siblings, my siblings. And it's self-aggrandizing to try and take my father's legacy and wrap it around someone who didn't know my father. And it hurts. And it's honestly just disrespectful."

John Vento and Brooks also experienced conflict earlier this year during a June 11 policy committee meeting. According to an investigation by Red Cedar Consulting, an argument began while discussing an early entrance to kindergarten policy.

John Vento became emotional and used foul language. Brooks said something to the effect of "I am not your child, your cat, your dog or your slave," according to the investigative report.

John Vento possibly stood over Brooks during this incident, though a physical act of aggression could not be determined, according to the report.

However even if physical aggression were to have taken place, the investigator concluded this did not appear to be related to Brooks' race, age, gender or "other protected status."

Both John Vento and Brooks were called out for acting unprofessionally at the policy meeting.

In total, the investigation found Directors Caroline Long, Kim Holmes, Helen Bassett, Brooks, Bowman and John Vento all to have violated core values of the board. However, Brooks was the only one who was found to have violated the discrimination, harassment and violence policy, which is based on state and federal guidelines.

Brooks was found to have sent Long racially charged emails, possibly confronted Long in an elevator and publicly refused to acknowledge or pretended not to understand Long's racial identification.

Long had spoken about the situation, saying, "I feel like especially toward me there has been a lot of colorism that has happened on this board. Where people are constantly — other Black women — are constantly denying that I am a Black woman and then putting me in the category of being white."

The board voted to censure Brooks for her behavior. Censuring is a formal reprimand but it does not take away a board member's rights or responsibilities. To censure someone is to give them a warning that more drastic action might be taken if negative behavior continues. Brooks is set to finish her term in December of 2026.