Many who receive this email may not live in the Owasso Public School District. So why should you read its message? This recommendation is based on a principle that should be applied when voting on candidates for a school board position in any district in which one may reside, and it is this principle upon which I have based my recommendation.
This principle states that it is the citizens of a school district, not the elected members of the school board, ultimately determine the moral values and standards to be taught to the children in that district. In other words, a school board’s actions, policies, and practices must reflect the moral values and standards of that community. This issue has been at the heart of many highly contentious meetings between school boards and the parents and other citizens of communities across America.
Owasso School Board Election – Tuesday, April 2, 2024
The two men who are competing for the Owasso School Board position appear to differ on this principle. Either Brent England (20-year incumbent) or Brandon Shreffler (challenger) will occupy this school board position for the next five years.
The positions and promises of both candidates appear similar. Both men stress the need to lobby the state legislature for more money for more buildings and programs for the school system. Also, both promised to make bullying a top priority if elected. In February 2024, bullying became an issue that caused the City of Owasso and the Owasso Public Schools to receive national attention from the White House, various governmental officials, national news media, and the homosexual lobby and its defenders as a result of an incident at Owasso High School.
Mr. England made the following comments with regard to bullying:
“There’s a lot of interest now in trying to eliminate bullying, and that’s going to be an ongoing discussion,” England said. “Yes, I want to eliminate bully;…it’s something that needs to be addressed. What the answer is, I really don’t know right now. I think we’re really going to need a lot of public support behind those decisions, and I’m hoping we get that support.”[1] [emphasis added]
Mr. Shreffler mirrors England’s efforts with regard to bullying.
“We’ve had issues in our personal family with bullying in the district. My kids are friends with other kinds with parents that had similar issues with bullying in the district, so obviously that’s my main reason to run.”[2]
Like England, Shreffler offers no solutions to eliminate bulling at Owasso Public Schools. When solutions are sought, it is likely that the Owasso School administrators will use materials from the United States Department of Education, National Education Association, various organizations promoting homosexuality and its agenda, and similar left-wing progressive socialist organizations. The solutions offered invariably will not be representative of beliefs and desires of the citizens of local communities across America.
The issue is the same as discussed above: The citizens of a school district, not the elected members of the school board, ultimately determine what is reflective of community morals and standards and that includes what and how the children in that district will be taught. There is a difference in how the two candidates view this principle.
Mr. England chooses sovereignty of the school board
Mr. England chooses sovereignty (supreme power) of the school board in making decisions, policies, and practices regarding what and how the district’s children are taught.
In Mr. England’s statement above, notice that we (the board) “…are really going to need a lot of public support behind those decisions, and I’m hoping we get that support.” Implicit in this statement is that the Board of Owasso Public Schools will make those decisions with regard to designing and establishing policies and programs to eliminate bullying. However, it is evident that public input is not required, needed, or wanted by the administration of OPS. Just give them the money and support their decisions. [emphasis added]
If anyone doubts that the OPS Board and administrators vigorously oppose parental and community involvement in the decision making at OPS, I refer them to the considerable efforts of the Board and Superintendent in the fall of 2022 to shut down parental and community involvement in their efforts to have significant amounts of pornographic materials removed from the libraries and classrooms at OPS.
Following a school board meeting where a vocal parent opposed the presence of pornographic materials in school libraries and classrooms, the Superintendent with board acquiescence banned the parent from access to the school property. After the parent obtained legal counsel, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil issued a temporary restraining order on November 1st 2002 that prevented the Owasso school district from barring parent’s access to the campus. Heil wrote, “While it is true that injunctive relief is an extraordinary relief, this Court finds that the First Amendment is an extraordinary right, deserving of extraordinary relief.”[3]
The Owasso school board subsequently met on November 9th and altered the parent’s ban so it was no longer tied to his interaction with board member Brent England. Instead, the ban was kept in place because of parent’s interaction in the parking lot with Art Haddaway of the Owasso Reporter. Subsequently on November 14th, Judge Heil converted the restraining order to a temporary injunction that prevented Owasso Public Schools’ efforts to ban the parent from attending school board meetings, dropping off and picking up his children from school, and attending parent-teacher conferences and other extracurricular activities. The judge noted that it “is clear” that Owasso’s ban was “substantially motivated as a response to Plaintiff’s criticism of the Board’s decision and his petition for a redress of grievances” which is protected under the First Amendment.[4]
Mr. Shreffler chooses “Parent and Community Engagement”
Whether or not Mr. Shreffler embraces ultimate sovereignty of the community in matters relating to the education of its children, his campaign mail piece at least tips his hat toward parent and community involvement with the school board.
“Parent and Community Engagement: Fostering strong partnerships to ensure a collaborative effort in education, keeping the door always open for feedback and ideas.”
Are you a “domestic terrorist” because you want the policies and practices of your local school district to reflect the moral values and standards upon which America was founded?
On October 4, 2021, the Biden administration through Attorney General Merrick Garland sent
“…a memo to the federal law enforcement agency directing it to coordinate with the nation’s 14,000 school districts. This action comes after the Biden administration received a plea from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) to protect schools from the ‘imminent threat’ of parents sending ‘threatening letters and cyberbullying’ school officials. The association considers such activities to be akin to ‘domestic terrorism’.”[5] [emphasis added]
The Biden administration and its Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. have taken the position that parents challenging boards should be considered “domestic terrorists.” If you don’t agree with this administration’s assessment, you can push back with your vote on April 2nd or whenever the next school board election is held in your school district.
Larry G. Johnson
Sources:
[1] Art Haddaway, “Owasso school board president faces challenger in April 2 election,” Owasso Reporter, March 22, 2024. https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/education/owasso-school-board-president-faces-challenger-in-april-2-election/article_e439d7c2-e7c9-11ee-a1d3-57d049df4510.html (accessed 3-29-2024).
[2| Ibid.
[3] Burt Mummolo, “Owasso parent banned from school grounds after asking for pornographic book to be removed,” KTUL Channel 8, October 17, 2022, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/owasso-parent-banned-from-school-grounds-after-asking-for-pornographic-book-to-be-removed/ar-AA134R0f (accessed 11-7-2022).
[4] Ray Carter, “Court prevents Owasso school from banning parent critic,” Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, November 2, 2022, https://www.ocpathink.org/post/court-prevents-owasso-school-from-banning-parent-critic (accessed 11-7-2022).
[5] Robby Soave, “A.G. Merrick Garland Tells FBI To Investigate Parents Who Yell at School Officials About Critical Race Theory” reason, October 6, 2021. https://reason.com/2021/10/06/ag-merrick-garland-fbi-critical-race-theory-parents-schools-domestic-terrorists/ (accessed 3-31-2024).
