Scott Hancock recall, De Soto School District USD 232, Kansas (2015)
| De Soto School District USD 232 recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| August 18, 2015 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2015 Recalls in Kansas Kansas recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
A vote to recall Scott Hancock from his seat as the Position 4 member of the De Soto School District USD 232 Board of Education in Kansas was held August 18, 2015. Hancock was recalled from his position on the board.[1]
Recall supporters blamed the resignation of Superintendent Doug Sumner and Director of Teaching and Learning Jessica Dain on Hancock's demeanor towards them. They also accused him of sexually harassing a female administrator. Hancock called the accusations "outright lies" and claimed no complaints had been filed against him by district employees.[2]
Recall vote
The following question appeared before voters on August 18, 2015: "Shall Scott Hancock be recalled from the office of De Soto School District 232 Position 4?"[3]
| Scott Hancock, Position 4 Board Member, De Soto School District USD 232 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Recall | 2,047 | 89.16% | ||
| Retain | 249 | 10.84% | ||
| Election results via: Johnson County Election Office, "Election Summary Report," August 18, 2015 | ||||
Recall supporters
Arguments for recall
Recall supporters claimed Superintendent Doug Sumner and Director of Teaching and Learning Jessica Dain left the district over Hancock's behavior towards them. They drew attention to the fact that 30 district administrators had resigned from March 2015 to the beginning of July 2015. Supporters also alleged that Hancock sexually harassed a female administrator, referring to her as "missy" and "little girl." They additionally argued he was overly demanding of district administrators.[2]
Recall opponents
Response from Hancock
Hancock called the accusations "outright lies" and claimed no complaints had been filed against him by district employees. He expressed frustration that the recall process did not require supporters to provide proof to back up their claims against him. He told The Kansas City Star:
| “ | When did character assassination by innuendo, rumor and hearsay become an acceptable means for challenging the fitness and service of an elected official?” he asked in a written statement. “I’m proud of my past two years of service on the school board. I’ve always acted in the best interests of the school districts’ students, patrons and taxpayers by insisting on financially sound business practices and accountability. I look forward to continuing to do so.[4] | ” |
| —Scott Hancock, (July 2015)[2] | ||
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Kansas
The recall effort against Hancock was scheduled for an election after supporters submitted 1,393 signatures to the Johnson County Election Office. Of those signatures, 1,190 were found to be valid—190 more than was necessary to take the issue to the ballot.[2]
Recent news
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See also
- De Soto School District USD 232, Kansas
- Recall campaigns in Kansas
- Political recall efforts, 2015
- School board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Recall election removes Scott Hancock from De Soto school board," August 18, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Kansas City Star, "Vote to recall De Soto school board’s Scott Hancock set for Aug. 18," July 7, 2015
- ↑ Johnson County Election Office, "Upcoming 2015 Elections," accessed July 14, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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