To Board Members of the Brooklyn Music School:

It has been four weeks since we sent a request that Crocker Coulson be removed from the Brooklyn Music School board. Although we understand he is no longer board chair, his continued presence on the board remains untenable. We, the undersigned, respectfully petition that he be removed from the board and that the board address the concerns of the BMS faculty and staff.

As of today, the board has not responded to the many parents who wrote letters expressing their concern about Mr. Coulson’s role on the board. They and many other parents continue to speak directly to the faculty and staff about this matter, putting us in an awkward position.

While we understand that Mr. Coulson has contributed time and energy to BMS, we have more often than not felt that his efforts were misplaced and have had a destructive effect on faculty and staff morale. Even in his new capacity on the board, he continues to call on staff directly, overstepping boundaries and creating confusion and dissent about the proper chain of command. This has a deleterious effect on the institution at large.

We also fear that Mr. Coulson’s legal troubles will continue to damage the BMS brand, given the recent news coverage. Many of us have spent years helping to build BMS, and we feel he is using the school’s reputation and good will within the community to rehabilitate his own reputation. His priorities have been a drain on human and capital resources. We have no objections to his future involvement with the school as a parent and community member, but his position on the board continues to damage the school’s reputation and its ability to function properly.

We are extremely concerned that the BMS board is not aware of what is happening within the school. Crocker Coulson has communicated his own priorities and beliefs about the school to the remainder of the board. In meetings with him, many faculty and staff members have concluded that his assessment and views of BMS are inaccurate and misguided. Our own views have been disregarded and sidelined. He does not value our expertise. Going forward, we would like a forum in which board members and faculty and staff can communicate about issues important to the school.

We care deeply about Brooklyn Music School and for its future as a vibrant center of the arts in our community. We look forward to writing a new chapter with the board, and to returning to our primary mission of music and dance arts education. We value your thoughts and welcome your support.

We look forward to your response.

BMS Faculty and Staff