Note: A previous version of this article included Troy Tank as one of the community members who spoke out against the mascot. Though he made a comment to the board, his public comment focused on Superintendent Flynn’s performance, and thus has been included in another article for better context.
Though a July vote put mascot replacement spending on pause, the Sandusky School Board still have several details to iron out, such as reorganizing the mascot committee and responding to growing protests about the “Redskins” mascot’s removal. Despite Monday’s agenda including several new hires being made and numerous updates concerning the new school year, including the go-ahead to negotiate a contract for a city police liaison officer at the school, the mascot issue quickly dominated the night.
Two community members– Rick Spiegal and Wilma Henderson– took the floor during public comment Monday, August 15, to voice their displeasure with the board’s decision, with Spiegal announcing that he was organizing a GoFundMe to raise money to send out mailers and surveys to 4000+ Sandusky residents.
With the last item on the agenda being board discussion of the mascot, Board President Jason Trepkowski determined that board members Daniel Gerstenberger and Jane Jacobson would lead up the mascot committee, adding that he wanted board member Bob Hassler also involved with the committee in some way.
There had been interjections from the crowd throughout the meeting, each time being met with a reminder that public participation was over, but the discussion came to an abrupt halt after Mr. Spiegal stood and interrupted, attempting to ask if the board would be considering the answers to his planned survey campaign. When President Trepkowski reminded him again that public participation was over, Spiegal repeated his question three to four more times, getting louder with each reminder from Trepkowski until Trepkowski brought down the gavel and adjourned the meeting.
“You can adjourn all you want, Jason. I hope you lose your position come November,” Spiegal told the board member as he left, telling several other board members he wished the same for them.
With some talk of a recall vote of the school board coming from those who want to keep the mascot, it is unclear what the next steps in the matter for the district will be.
