51品茶

Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Anger and threats have Ohio school board members worried

A student wears a mask in class at Worthington Kilbourne High School in March 2021
Dan Konik
/
Statehouse News Bureau
A student wears a mask in class at Worthington Kilbourne High School in March 2021

Ohio is among the states mentioned in a letter asking for federal help to protect school board members, teachers and students against possible violence.

Ohio is among the states mentioned in a letter to President Biden from the National School Boards Association, asking for federal help in protecting board members, teachers and students against potential violence.

There are concerns being raised by schools and board members across the state about backlash from mask mandates and other issues.

The Nordonia School Board in northeast Ohio , and sheriff鈥檚 deputies were called over the tension when people refused to wear masks at .

Lynn May is the vice president of the Dublin City School Board and is running for her fifth four-year term.

鈥淗ostility is what it is. It seems like we鈥檝e lost our way as a country. Everyone thinks it鈥檚 ok to be nasty and mean and shout and rude and offensive. What happened to civility?鈥 May said.

May said she鈥檚 talked to members of school boards who鈥檝e received threatening letters.

鈥淚t seems to be organized 鈥 someone sending the same letter out to the school board president and the superintendent and we鈥檙e just turning it over, but I hope someone puts the pieces together to figure out what鈥檚 going on.鈥

May said she's not personally worried, but she does wonder about the impact on people who might be considering running for school boards, or who aren't as experienced as she is.

A member of the Worthington school board said some attendees displayed Nazi symbolism at a recent meeting in that district.

Contact Karen at 614-578-6375 or at kkasler@statehousenews.org.
Related Content