School Board Elects Bates as President

Thousand Oaks businessman Marty Bates was selected president of the Ventura County Board of Education on Monday and almost immediately began facing off with longtime critics of the board.

Minutes after the board voted unanimously to appoint Bates to replace outgoing President Wendy Larner, Ojai lawyer Rudy Petersdorf challenged Bates’ decision to limit public comments to three minutes per speaker.

When Petersdorf refused to adhere to the rule, Bates instructed Robert Smith, assistant superintendent of business, to call the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department to have the speaker removed.

Petersdorf, however, remained at the lectern even as Smith left to call authorities.

“You’ll not limit my right to address this board,” Petersdorf shouted. “You’re not going to shut me up.”

However, after a few more comments, Petersdorf sat down, which prompted Smith to cancel the sheriff’s call.

During a break, Bates said he would not put up with speakers who personally criticize board members.

“I’m a stronger personality than Wendy was. And I won’t allow people to push me around,” he said.

Bates was elected to the board in November 1994. He is the third member of a conservative majority that has made several controversial decisions in the past year.

A March vote by the trio to exclude representatives of Planned Parenthood and AIDS Care from teacher-training seminars sparked a recall effort against Larner and trustee Angela N. Miller.

But campaign organizers failed to gather enough signatures to place a recall vote on the March ballot and the two religious-right board members survived the threat.

Last month, Bates, Larner and Miller voted to reject a $500,000 federal vocational-training grant if it is approved by the government. Their decision sparked a sharp backlash from the county’s education leaders, who consider the money critical to train students for jobs after high school.

Supt. Charles Weis announced last week that he would ignore the board’s vote and accept the money if it is offered. Weis, who is also an elected official, is responsible for running the county schools office, which provides administrative services to the 20 local school districts.

Bates consistently joins Larner and Miller to defeat issues opposed by conservatives, but is not generally considered an adherent of far right-wing politics.

Larner said she is happy to step down from the post because she is tired of being criticized for her actions. Speakers at board meetings frequently direct their complaints to her, she said.

A 23-year resident of Thousand Oaks, Bates runs his own medical supply company.