Vanessa Reid recall, Leavenworth Unified School District 453, Kansas (2023)
| Leavenworth Unified School District 453 recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2023 Recalls in Kansas Kansas recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Vanessa Reid from her position on the seven-member Leavenworth Unified School District 453 Board of Education in Kansas did not go to a vote in 2023. Recall supporters did not file any signatures by the deadline on July 24, 2023.[1][2]
The recall effort started after Reid and state Rep. Pat Proctor (R) visited a library in the school district and took photos of students' artwork from an assignment on who was welcome in the library. One of those photos, which featured a rainbow flag, was shared in Proctor's February newsletter. “It was clear that the school library was doing more indoctrinating than educating,” Proctor wrote in the newsletter. “I am proud to stand with Conservative School Board Member Vanessa Reid in her fight to protect our kids’ from the radical woke agenda that threatens Leavenworth Schools.”[3][4]
Reid was elected to the board in 2021.[3]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was started by Courtney Ricard, who was the mother of the student who drew the rainbow flag picture that was featured in Proctor's newsletter. Ricard also served as the elementary school's PTO president.[3] "I was very taken off guard because there was no consent given. My child’s artwork was used without consent. That’s grotesque. I really do try to stay out of politics but, when it is affecting my child in such a manner, then it concerns me," Ricard said.[5]
“I think she betrayed the students of Leavenworth by allowing this to happen,” Ricard said about Reid. “My daughter has the kindest heart. She is the sweetest child and wants everyone to feel loved and included. That was her message. She was trying to spread love. He is spreading hate.”[3]
Ricard also criticized a comment Reid made during a school board meeting while the board was discussing superintendent candidates. Reid said the best attribute for a new superintendent would be blue eyes. Reid said the comment was a joke, but Ricard said she felt the comment was racist.[3]
At a school board meeting in March 2023, Ricard called for Reid to resign. “The immature behavior of a certain board member is unprofessional to say the least and quite frankly, I’m embarrassed she represents us. Being a board member is supposed to be a (nonpartisan) position,” Ricard said.[3]
Board member Mike Carney said, "It’s really sad. Our board has never been involved in anything like this where we have politics involved. It’s not how it’s supposed to be. And all this now is just a political vote."[3]
Recall opponents
Reid released the following statement about the library visit with Proctor:[5]
| “ | Expressing one’s opinion on elected office holders is the right held by every member of the public. Yet those entrusted with elected responsibility do not shrink from those duties simply because an individual calls for it.
As a lifetime resident of this wonderful city, I love all of our students. I will not be distracted by deliberate attempts by a few who have taken it upon themselves to launch a campaign of misrepresentation and character assassination over a difference of perspective on topics that are under debate nationwide. I remain committed to the reason for which I ran and was elected. That mission remains to be a voice for the majority of people in the great city of Leavenworth who are rightly concerned about the direction of our school system. Unfortunately there has been misinformation being spread and the truth not being told. I never mentioned Ms. Ricard or her daughter. Neither was her artwork singled out. It was shown in a grouping of other drawings by Rep. Proctor at the bottom of a very lengthy newsletter sent to his constituents in a routine monthly update. On display in one of the elementary buildings there were several drawings. Some including same sex children holding hands with a gay pride flag heart drawn between them and another appeared to be a furry drawing with cage etc. This display was observed on a district approved tour and supply donation to the elementary school in Mr. Proctor’s district. This is not an issue of whether myself or anyone else supports every student. Everyone should be well cared for in our district. All displays in our schools provide the impression of being school sanctioned. This is a matter of whether rainbow assignments like this one are approved curriculum or if staff went outside of board approved curriculum. Additionally, this is the large responsibility we have as a district to make sure we are respectful and nondiscriminatory of the personal choices of religious, non religious, personal beliefs and preferences.[6] |
” |
Proctor wrote an email in support of Reid, saying, "Vanessa is committed to putting kids and parents ahead of administrators and the Teachers’ Union. She isn’t afraid to ask tough questions and demand answers."[3]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Kansas
To get a recall on the ballot in Kansas, supporters must collect signatures equal to 40% of votes cast for the office in the last election in 90 days.[7]
2023 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia tracked 48 school board recall efforts against 97 board members in 2023. Sixteen of those board members faced recall elections. The recall elections were held on January 10, 2023, August 1, 2023, August 8, 2023, August 29, 2023, November 7, 2023, and December 12, 2023. The school board recall success rate was 13.4%.
The chart below details the status of 2023 recall efforts by individual school board member.
See also
- Leavenworth Unified School District 453, Kansas
- Recall campaigns in Kansas
- Political recall efforts, 2023
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Leavenworth Unified School District 453, "Board Members," accessed May 16, 2023
- ↑ Leavenworth Times, "No signatures submitted for recall election," July 27, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 The Kansas City Star, "KC school leader told to resign amid conflict over rainbow drawings, ‘blue eyes’ remark," March 10, 2023
- ↑ Leavenworth Times, "Parent seeking recall of school board member," May 10, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ABC 17 News, "Controversy in crayon: Leavenworth parent says child’s drawing was used to push political agenda," March 31, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Recall of Local Officials," accessed July 27, 2021
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