(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Tonight’s special school board meeting to appoint a member to the KUSD board of education was adjourned just after 7 pm. The meeting, which started at 6 pm, was at Indian Trail High School to accommodate the anticipated large amount of supporters of school board member Eric Meadows. The Indian Trail auditorium stage had a long table with name cards for each and every board member, that is, except Eric Meadows.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Meadows’ seat was at a seperate table where he was meant to sit by himself. Meadows is set to be administratively removed from the board this upcoming April, two years before his term was set to expire. KUSD Superintendent Jeff Weiss (D) and School Board President Yolanda Santos (D) made the decision to unilaterally remove Meadows, a conservative, from the board.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Santos wants to allow gay pride and transgender flags and signs in the classrooms, but tonight, she seemed offended by a large number of resident who were holding signs that read “Eric Meadows KUSD School Board.” Meadows isn’t listed on any ballot for any election in the coming year, so it’s not considered electioneering any more than a Romney/Ryan sign would be. Santos ignored residents donning signs and shirts that read “reduce gun violence.”
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Santos told the folks with the signs to leave. They refused. She stormed off of the stage and went behind the curtain. She was later joined by Rebecca Stevens (D) and Todd Price (D). The members who stayed on the stage were Todd Battle, Mary Modder, Eric Meadows, and Kristine Schmaling.
“She’s taking her ball and going home,” one taxpayer exclaimed. The President and two others leaving the meeting didn’t stifle the debate. Several residents sang the national anthem and began citizen comments anyway.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Many in attendance were asking the remaining board members and Superintendent Weiss questions. School board secretary Stacy Busby-Schroeder-Stephens called for security to remove people asking questions. Security refused to, becuase they’ve read the first amendment. We asked her why she thought citizens shouldn’t be allowed to speak. She had “no comment.” We asked her for her last name, for this publication – she didn’t answer. She had gone by at least three last names since her tenure at KUSD.
After an hour hiding, Santos re-emerged to the stage and announced that the meeting was “suspended.” Todd Battle, the former director of KABA, made more than $325,000 per year. Much of the KABA budget is funded by the government. Battle has consistently refused interviews or comments from KCE. He also refused to answer questions from the public tonight. We asked him if he regretted his vote for Superintendent Jeff Weiss. He said “No I don’t regret my vote.” We asked him about the overturning of the election. He responded “That’s not what’s happening here.” Behind closed doors, he is supporting Meadows, but isn’t publicly. For example, after the meeting, he told a fellow board member that Santos “picks and chooses” which rules she enforces saying “ignore the signs and let’s have the meeting.” Many speculate that his high-paid position plays a role what he can and can’t do as a board member. Eric Meadows and Carl Bryan are the only two people who are being considered for the open spot. A local attorney and County Board Supervisor Brian Thomas have both removed their names from consideration.
A new board meeting to appoint a new member will be rescheduled.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Chief Communications Officer Tanya Ruder doesn’t always take questions from the media but tonight she broke out in song. (parody)
30 Responses
He makes 325k?!? Wowza. Tonight he looked exhausted. I don’t think he will run again. Todd is a do nothing candidate. I was shocked that Mary seemed to want to engage with the speakers.
No wonder kids are not learning anything look at the school board to see they don”t know or want to work as a team, starting with Adams!!!
Yolanda Santos-Adams is a disappointment. I watched the videos and the behavior of much of the audience is beyond belief. Talking out of turn, shouting, catcalls, carrying signs, etc. If they want to picket outside the building, fine, but this is inappropriate and disgraceful. Santos-Adams is wrong, too, for losing control of the meeting. I would have told them to behave once and then called the police to have them removed. I do think the policy she referred to is a bit broad. For example, while I agree that the behavior was bad and the large signs inappropriate, what if people came in wearing a T-shirt or a simple button? I don’t think that’s as destructive. There was no need to play around for an hour. I would have given them a minute or two and then called the police. This is supposed to be a business meeting, not a circus.
I should add that I support Meadows but not disruptive behavior.
Point taken…. though, technically, there was no meeting, as Santos-Adams left the room and refused to call it to order.
Language is language. At a previous meeting large numbers of teachers entered with political t-shirts. If those people are allowed to voice their political opinions then everybody should be allowed. The entire meeting was well-ordered until Yolanda started throwing her weight around. She lost control of the meeting because she is a bully and we weren’t having it.
The behavior of both parties was inappropriate. The audience was being rowdy and disrespectful, while Santos-Adams was being obtuse, as usual. The meeting should have gone on, but the audience is partially to blame as well.
The audience had no issue until she refused to call the meeting to order. It was an open meeting with comments. People wanted to speak, and the mic was cut off.
I was there. The meeting was well-ordered until Yolanda started complaining about the signs supporting Eric Meadows, who was NOT on the ballot today. A few meetings ago, large numbers of teachers were bussed in, all wearing politically motivated t-shirts. If their speech is protected, then everyone’s speech should be protected. Most of the meeting, all we did wait for Yolanda to cancel it. She lost control of the meeting because she is a bully.
“Santos wants to allow gay pride and transgender flags and signs in the classrooms, but tonight, she seemed offended by a large number of resident who were holding signs that read “Eric Meadows KUSD School Board.””
Kevin, this is great. I’m laughing out loud here at work.
As a member of that board, you have an obligation to face your constituents. Short of them threatening the board, or throwing things at them; they have to conduct the meetings. Your feelings will be hurt in any elected position.
If Yolanda called the police to have them removed, what if a gay police officer showed up and was “offended” by the anti gay marriage sign? Could that officer just hide?
Or what if a muslim officer arrived and was offended that Yolanda wants gay pride flags in classrooms? Could that officer just hide or leave because they were offended?
Do your job as a board member, or step down. Simple.
Once again the Libs have brought there BS indoctrination agenda .. into the education arena.. Do Gay and transgender BS flags make are kids more proficient?. Our schools are failing to educate ..Teacher union ? KABA 325.000 this guy is garbage ..I’ll do it for 200.000 ..
As someone that was there not one person got loud until Yolanda demanded people with signs leave. At that time no one was holding signs up! Ms. Adams tried to bully citizens and when she realized she wasn’t going to win this battle she ran away like a petulant child, and was quickly followed by Stevens, Price & Weiss. Praying this child is removed today by the citizens exercising their votes!
She was right to say that the signs should go. But the meeting should have proceeded and, if need be, police called to remove the violators.
What violations? Free speech is now a violation?
Considering her ongoing behavior of denying many citizens their rights to speak, signs seem a very reasonable behavior, so long as they are not used as weapons or to block the view of other persons. Yolanda is pure evil and should not be in charge of anything outside her own household.
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Will KUSD provide equal educational opportunities/environments to students who are not supportive of gay/transgender flags, or whatever political ideology that teacher in that room holds? KUSD is so far off the rails. They barely educate the students now. They have relaxed on enforcement of their own policies to “lower certain numbers”, because they are afraid of the optics of punishing the behavior.
Yolanda- please hold a meeting and information session and explain why KUSD refuses to hire minorities as educators, and why diversity doesn’t matter when it means hiring males. The only African Americans KUSD hires is to prepare food part time, or to mop floors. KUSD the largest discriminator in this county.
Santos Adams claimed the “Eric Meadows” signs were political but I suspect she was using them as her excuse to move the meeting to after the election. As soon as the first speaker announced his name, they shut the microphone off and never turned it back on until Santos Adams announced she was suspending the meeting. As they have often done, the school board leadership has violated their own written rules, the First Amendment, and open meeting laws in order to exert their power and avoid having to listen to, much less engage with, citizens and parents with whom they may disagree.
Yolanda looks nothing like I remember her.
She’s an old hag
So they want political signage in classrooms but not in their meetings? Point, conservatives. Eric Meadows (still on the board, at least until April) separated at his own card table with no KUSD banner-and I didn’t see a water bottle for him-like a child at an over-booked dinner party. You would either have to be blind, ignorant or complicit to the staged PNG attempt. When the school board is demonstrating this level of psychological warfare, its time to change the political diaper. Nice job Mr Meadows for taking one of the seats at the table that was vacated by one of the socially impotent. May that act be just as symbolic as theirs. Another point for conservatives and a vote for Lamar Madison today, I think.
And just like that the left suddenly wants quiet and respectful meetings. After years of riots, crying and protests at the boards they don’t agree with. The hypocrisy is real
Maybe the conservatives in the room should have emulated the left and turn the meeting into a peaceful protest by throwing gasoline on the candidates and furniture they didn’t like?
That would be equitable, but we don’t stoop to their level.
SABOTAGE!!! Tony Garcia must be removed immediately for qualification as this is ALL HIS FAULT. Meadows knows he was ONLY to be there for the remainder of the term that he filled. Tired of the attacks on our schools!!
Give me a break, this isn’t an attack on schools, you aren’t even any good at diversion. If anything has been an attack on schools it’s been the entire cabal from Biden to Evers to the teachers union.
Sadly, the voters continued to support a witch yesterday.
Meanwhile….KUSD continues to cancel school because a little ice fell. These teachers are soft as shit. Ever since COVID, the school board looks for ANY reason to cancel school. The school board in a bunch of pussies….no surprise that the teachers have become this, as well.
Once the public accepted the fact that schools are nothing but free daycare for some people, they really don’t care what their kids come out like anymore. Adams checks off a box and keeps getting elected for no other reason, certainly not because she is good for education. Our own little Biden.