School Board Leader Catches Heat For Facebook Post
PLAINFIELD, Ill. (STMW) - Plainfield school board President Stuart Bledsoe has told the teachers' union to KMA — (Kiss My A**) — on his Facebook page after hearing that union members have allegedly campaigned against him during their meetings at the schools.
"Really after standing up for the APT (Association of Plainfield Teachers) the past three years they are going to go after me. KMA. Watch how much support you get in the future. Look at your leadership they will lead you exactly where they want you to go," Bledsoe wrote on his Facebook page on Nov. 10.
A person on his Facebook page asked him what he meant.
Bledsoe replied, "It just means the APT can hold their breath if they think I will be going out on a limb for them in the future. They are on their own."
Karie Beck, president of APT, took Bledsoe's Facebook comments to Plainfield Superintendent John Harper last week, saying the union has concerns.
"Our concern is this is what is being posted on a public forum," she said.
Harper declined to comment on what actions he took regarding complaints against the union for allegedly campaigning on school property and the union's complaint against Bledsoe's Facebook comments.
Ann Bachman-Thomas, uniserv director for Illinois Education Association, questions Bledsoe's Facebook comments.
"We have always conducted ourselves in a professional way. What kind of leader do we have leading the fourth largest school district in Illinois? This is what we want?" she asked.
Bachman-Thomas said Bledsoe's comments didn't help morale which was already down.
Bachman-Thomas said she believes Bledsoe is in violation of the school board's code of ethics for his inappropriate comments.
Bledsoe disagrees, saying he has few friends—81 on his Facebook page and the majority of them are not teachers.
"I don't feel like I've done anything ethically wrong," Bledsoe said. "I felt their comments against me were unwarranted. I'm not a board member who is running for re-election. I'm not a board member who is standing in their way. I'm a board member who has supported them for the entire time I've been on the board."
It's not clear what actions can be taken against Bledsoe, if any.
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