Chair and attorney block Kiel from responding to the unwarranted behavior. Was the December appointment of Kuykendall a major mistake?
OPINION: Fourth District Yavapai Community College District Governing Board member Patrick Kuykendall launched a vicious personal attack on First District Representative William Kiel during the February 18 Governing Board meeting. The outburst occurred amid a discussion on the authority and accountability of Yavapai’s president, Dr. Lisa Rhine, and the adoption of a resolution that vested virtually all power in her.
In his carefully controlled but angry tirade Kuykendall declared that he “wanted it on the record” that, in his view, Mr. Kiel had “made threats and been . . . disrespectful.” He further claimed, “I’ve sat on a lot of boards, and I’ve never been on a board with somebody with so much hate and discontent.” He provided no examples.
Not satisfied with his initial attack on Kiel, Kuykendall pressed on in anger saying: “The reason we’re not in live meeting is when somebody mentions firearms and they’re unstable, it is a threat.” Once again, he provided no examples to support his attack. (See video clip.)
Mr. Kiel, clearly caught completely off guard by this stunning accusation, attempted to question the source of Kuykendall’s claim regarding “stability.” Yet, he was abruptly prevented from doing to by the Board’s attorney and Chair Deb McCasland. (See video.)
Such an inflammatory and vicious public attack on a fellow Governing Board member is unwarranted and should immediately call into question Kuykendall’s fitness to serve on the Community College Governing Board. In my judgment, his appointment in December to the open Board seat in District 4 now appears to be a major mistake. Given his discomfort and anger directed at Mr. Kiel, he should resign.
A video clip of Mr. Kuykendall’s outburst in context follows below: A complete video of the meeting is available at the Community College’s Governing Board website.