OPINION|
by Jeremy Dean, Springfield
I was appalled during the June 27 Board of Education meeting while watching one of our school board members call out not one but two private citizens by name in an attempt to silence their voices and discredit their advocacy simply because they disagree.
Not only did this board member call them out by name, attempting to ridicule them, they even named their places of employment and organizations in which they are members and leaders and tried to blame these institutions for their differences.
Board of Education members are public officials. They are individuals who choose to campaign and accept the position of a public leader within our community. They should be commended for this, assuming these decisions are made in good faith.
Private citizens who speak at the school board, city council, or committee/commission hearings, although speaking in a public forum, are still private citizens.
Calling out private citizens from your dais while allowing no time for response or defense shows the intolerance of this board member. It is a disgrace to the entire institution of Springfield Public School Board of Education.
If you can’t stand to be addressed by the constituents that you have been tasked to serve, then you should not be sitting in a public position.
Jeremy Dean was an unsuccessful candidate in April 2023 for General Seat C on the Springfield City Council.