KUSD school board member Eric Meadows released a statement today in response to his election being overturned by KUSD lawyers and the Wisconsin Election Commission.
The Kenosha Unified School District Board is set to remove member Eric Meadows from the board this upcoming April, two years earlier than what the voters intended. The Wisconsin Elections Commission is one of the motivating forces behind this.
Meadows term was initially set to expire in 2025. Kenosha Unified School District is alleging that they made an error in the 2022 elections due to the resignation of former School Board President Dan Wade.
KCE has heard from many voters who think that this is a deliberate and underhanded attempt to change the will of the voters. The board will be able to choose Meadow’s replacement this April without an election.
KCE made email contact with KUSD Superintendent Jeffrey Weiss and he indicated that he will not be fighting the Wisconsin Elections Commission and will capitulate to the bureaucratic board.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
“To say that I am shocked and disappointed in reaction to KUSD’s effort to force me out of my role as an elected school board member is an understatement. In both June of 2021 and November of 2021, nearly two years ago, KUSD made errors in public notices that have resulted in the situation we are facing today. Due to multiple human errors, the results of an important election are being changed long after the fact.
The electors of the Kenosha Unified School District should be concerned that no due process has taken place to arrive at the prescribed solution they published to correct their own egregious actions that led to this challenging situation. To my knowledge, there was not a vote taken by members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission nor by the Kenosha Unified School Board on how to proceed in a way that not only best follows the law, but also – most importantly – prioritizes the intent of the voters. I am simply being asked to yield to the opinion of the District’s attorney, and was denied the right to legal representation of my own prior to the publication of KUSD’s plan of action.
I will continue to fulfill my responsibilities on the board to the best of my ability for as long as I can, while simultaneously seeking to find a resolution to restore the election results that the community expected.”
22 Responses
Yolanda Santos Adams is up for re-election this year. We cannot let her win.
Agree 100%
So, the board can choose, but the voters can’t. I see a lot of property tax dollars going out the window after this ends up in court. Will there be bonfires and deaths while people go on and on about voter suppression, or is that just a racial thing I don’t understand?
If we all showed up with torches and pitchforks this crap would not happen. Government needs to fear the people to be kept honest.
A lot of vagueness. WHAT was the error? And maybe Mr. Meadows should talk to a lawyer for advice. If he believes he’s lawfully in office and they don’t then either they try to sue to vacate the seat or he sues to remove the person they appointed to succeed him. In any event it’ll take a judge to decide it.
I agree. WHAT exactly is the error? It has been stated that there have been multiple egregious errors. This is no surprise to me. The school board can’t stand that Kenosha elected 2 out of the 3 conservatives running in the last election. The liberals on the board need to be removed. They don’t care about the students. They haven’t for decades, if ever. They only care about the money going into their pockets.
The error is in how they handled the election last spring. They put it out as 3 year terms but one of the seats should have only been to fill a seat vacated which had one year left on the term. The clerk, Tony Garcia or a clerical person failed to do their job and now the board is making Erica & those that voted for him pay for their mistake. Mr. Garcia should withdraw from the upcoming election.
Or was the error putting it on the ballot in the first place. KUSD does not have numbered seats on the school board. If there was a vacancy then the person appointed should serve to the end of the original member’s term, right? Or not?
Mr. Meadows has every right to be upset (as should the other board members). How did anyone determine it was he who should be bounced off the board if all three candidates were running at large for three seats? I can’t see anything in the law that addresses that specifically. And maybe it’s the price paid for not having numbered seats which would have avoided this. I’m not going to fault Mr. Garcia at this point because we don’t know what advice he got but the lack of transparency here is horrible. Sounds like there’s more than one screwup here and perhaps not a good answer on how to fix it.
Mr. Garcia is also currently running for the one seat this month. Hmm. Coincidence? It is Yolanda Santos Adams’ seat. She is running for re-election. The third candidate (and the only conservative) is Lamar Madison.
If the board members commit to appointing Eric Meadows to fill the seat that he vacates, there would be no problem.
They’ll never do that. There are far too many anti-parent, radical liberals on that board. They can’t stand Mr. Meadows because as a conservative, he represents 10,000 voters who want their voices her on the board. Sickening to see what they’re doing. Meanwhile, students continue to suffer at the hands of KUSD’s anti-American, anti-parent policies.
They may not be able to do that or anything else without a legal foundation but nobody at this point is in the position of making an intelligent comment without the facts and relevant law. The ultimate question is how to fix this.
People on the board that have been re elected time after time should be embarrassed at the lack of success, the lack of trust and the state of KUSD school system resulting from years of incompetence, evidenced by the turmoil between KUSD and parents; and failing to be real advocates for all the students. What good are long term board members if their track record produces incompetence, disloyalty to the community , the deplorable morale of students, parents, and the over all pathetic quality of of education provided. In addition, ignoring the importance of solid Foundation of core subjects which is why anyone sends their children to school to achieve . Please stop embarrasing yourselves by verbalizing your tenure when you have Nothing to be proud of in accomplishment for KUSD quality because no one trusts KUSD system to produce quality fund of knowledge education for their children. Step aside and give new people a chance to make the KUSD system better for students beccause that is what the system is meant to do, not be politically motivated for agendas that do not support all students in what is going to help them compete, that by raising the quality of basic core subjects that strive to make all students competent enough to choose equal opportunities later based on being well educated enough to be able to have choices. Career KUSD representatives have proved to be failures thus far. The experienced members of the board should have known what seats were open and the duration, if they were at all competent and experienced by years of service. Dont brag about your tenure, keep it to yourself if you have any self respect, and or wisdom. There is NOTHING to be proud of being a part of the KUSD based on your overall approval ratings over the last ten years, and then this amateur mistake that undermined voters of Kenosha County, not to mention the hardship caused Mr. Meadows. What an embarrassement at a time when school boards across the country are under scrutiny for their over reach and under performances for that last decade KUSD has the responsibility to be 100% transparent and forthcoming on exactly and clearly explaining the problem that no one caught or caught and said nothing until nothing could be rectified. . Solution: Make it right for all; it is possible to correct a mistake, and honor results as they were, and its expected quality from people of integrity, and accountability.
You’ll need a Florida revolution in Kenosha government schools!
Kevin, please press until we find out who made the error, and that they are disciplined for it. Everyone else is culpable for work “errors”.
You can start with how KUSD elects board members as a beauty contest instead of numbered seats. In the latter option someone can run against a specific board member. More accountability.
Kevin, did you let Vicki McKenna know about this?
Where is the Kenosha County Republican Party on this? Seems like this is something they would want to help stop.
Suddenly all the activists in Kenosha that rioted all year and cried about fair elections, and getting to the polls are silent? Akward when it works in their left field advantage. Andy berg were ya at? Bully violet? Jackson? Just a bunch of frauds
Exactly! Where’s the ACLU, have they been contacted. They pretend to stand up for fair elections. IF the person being screwed can check off the “correct” boxes. The board should do as mentioned earlier-appoint Meadows.
Soomeone Start a write in campaign
How has this not hit main stream media???!???