Response to Negative Campaigning

PAC “Lander Schools for the Future” and the candidates it supports (Daniel McLane, Buck Tilton, and Mara Gans) claim to be student focused.  No doubt they are.  The question they should answer: will left leaning politics benefit our children in Lander?  Does Lander want to bring New York or California into our classrooms?  I sure don’t.  Most of us choose to live in Wyoming precisely because we are not New York or California.  Our schools have thrived because we don’t do things like they do in those places.  Why do these candidates hide from their association with left leaning activist groups?  You can see their connection here or here.

These groups are dedicated to progressive politics and hope to push their agenda by focusing on local government positions including school boards.  It appears these groups have helped fund the campaigns of McLane, Tilton, and Gans.  Do we really want this kind of money influencing our schools?  

Taylor Jacobs, Virginia Arbery, and I do not accept donations from anyone living outside our school district’s boundaries.    

You can see the beginnings of this influence in Mara Gans support of pornographic books in our school libraries.  Specifically, she advocates for the inclusion of the book “Let’s Talk About It.”  She states: “This book has additionaly recieved great reviews from many young adult literary journals, and is praised as a great complement to health education.”  

Here is just a sample of what this book teaches kids: “A great place to research fantasies and kinks safely is on the internet! There are tons of people and communities out there who share your interests and have all kinds of advice. The online world is also chockablock full of pornography professionals and amateurs alike sharing their sexy adventures online…So do your research! Look up interviews with your fave porn performers, go to the sites they recommend, and pay for your porn….But there is nothing wrong with enjoying some porn; it’s a fun sugary treat.”  

Apart from this harmful advice, the book is full of vulgar and sexually explicit depictions.  You can check it out for yourself at Amazon.  The reviews are particularly enlightening.     

You can see Mara Gan’s opinion here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/LZjHtkvDHwjb2s7i/ or here.

When candidates claim they don’t have an ideology or won’t bring their ideology to their work on a school board, you can bet they do and they will, and you will not like it.  McLane, Tilton, and Gans have been engaged in an extremely negative campaign focusing more on me and Taylor Jacobs than they have on their own agenda.  This is not surprising because their agenda would be a disaster for Lander and our kids.   

They or their surrogates or supporters, cowardly hiding behind a lawyer in Jackson, put their petty politics ahead of the needs of the students in our district, forcing our district into a position where we are unable to provide necessary psychological evaluations for students in need.  In my opinion this was done out of spite towards Taylor Jacobs.  This is demonstrated in their demand that she resign from the school board and withdraw from the election if she wanted to help the kids in our district with these psychological evaluations. Or should could choose to go to court at great personal expense.  See this article from Cowboy State Daily for details.  

This sort of cowardly, anonymous, behavior is not new.  I have been the focus of similar cowardly attacks threatening the financial security of my family.  Multiple times now these cowardly people have filed anonymous complaints against me with my employer concerning my service on the school board.  The allegations have been false and each time eventually determined to be unfounded.  

The message is loud and clear.  If you dare stand up for what is right, these anonymous cowards will come after you while they remain hiding in the dark.  Despite the threats, I will continue to stand up for what is right.  If these cowards believe they are doing what is right, then I challenge them to come out of the dark, stand up, and take credit for their actions. 

Continuing their negative campaign, McClane, Tilton, and Gans or their surrogate or their supporters have been knocking on doors spreading false claims, half-truths, and some facts about Taylor Jacobs and I.

You can see a copy of their talking points here.

The Claims: Scott Jensen and Taylor Jacobs voted for the following

False Claims –

  • Proposed policies that would protect bullying of students (transgender specifically)
    • Blatantly false.  Bullying is not tolerated in our schools and our staff consistently try to prevent it and intervene when they see it.  I support these efforts.  I have and will continue to support the right of our students to exercise their freedom of speech.  Compelling speech is an egregious violation of this right.  We cannot compel a student to use the preferred pronouns or preferred name of a “transgender” student.  Sincere and respectful speech is not bullying. Using a student’s actual name or pronouns is not bullying.

Half-Truths – 

  • Mandatory Drug Testing for Students
    • Testing is required only for students wanting to participate in extracurricular activities.  I voted for this policy because there has been an exponential increase in students bringing drugs into our schools, or being intoxicated in school, from elementary school to high school.  Drug testing is one part of an effort to reverse this disturbing trend.
  • Removing Masks During Covid
    • Taylor Jacobs and I were both strong proponents of keeping our schools open and removing masks from our kids.  I only wish we had been successful in getting the masks removed faster than we did.
  • Removed protected class language from policy
    • Taylor Jacobs and I both voted for an altered version of the anti-discrimination policy removing “protected classes” that were not defined in law.  These changes did not affect any legal protection for any person, but did clean up the policy so that it reflected the same language defined in state and federal law.  We need fewer divisions in our society, not more.  
  • Jensen voted for concealed-carry but Jacobs has confirmed she supports it.
    • This policy was passed before my or Taylor Jacobs’ service on the board started, but I am a strong supporter of the policy.  Among any of the current candidates for school board or even any current board members I am uniquely qualified to speak about this policy.  I am a veteran of the US Army and I have been a law enforcement officer for 19 years including time as a SWAT operator.  I have been trained in both the law enforcement and civilian responses to active shooters.  Having volunteer, qualified and capable armed staff in our buildings is an important part of our school safety plan.  Hoping that you can just rely on the police to respond to an active shooter is not a plan.  Every second a shooter is allowed free reign the more children will die.  I hope this policy is never put to the test, but if it ever was, I will be grateful we had capable staff who were able to respond saving the lives of our kids. 
  • Jensen currently supports a proposed transgender policy that targets transgender students and protects bullies.  Jacobs has been unclear on her stance, though appears to lean toward supporting it.
    • I do support a policy that would ensure parents are intimately involved in any decision about the names and pronouns used by students (transgender or otherwise).  I have and will continue to support the right of our students to exercise their freedom of speech (see above).  I hope that as a community we can encourage the exercise of this right in a way that promotes the common good.
  • Jensen has stated that children do not have many rights in school.
    • Students do have rights (see freedom of speech above).  Parents also have the right to the custody and care of their children and have the right to make decisions concerning the education, health, and welfare of their own kids.   Schools should always honor the parent / child relationship while parents embrace the duties incumbent with their role. 

Truths –

  • Preventing student-led organizations at the middle school
    • Yep, but there are many staff and teacher led organizations in the middle school.

Taylor Jacobs and I have provided strong leadership for our schools the last four years.  We lead our district through the COVID pandemic keeping our schools open and removing masks as fast as possible.  We have supported policies that have protected all students not just the favored LGBT group that McLane, Tilton, and Gans would give preference above others.  We have supported less division not more.  Our district has been successful under our leadership, a trend I hope we can continue.  These are some of the accomplishments of myself and Taylor Jacobs:

(ABC News)

  • Covid Response: Ensured our schools were open and masks came off as soon as possible.  When so many  schools across the country remained closed during Covid, causing irreparable harm to kids, our schools opened and remained opened. 
  • Support for Higher Teacher / Staff Pay:  Supported one time bonuses for staff with Covid relief funds and have consistently supported an increase in base pay. 
  • Implemented Conceal Carry for Qualified Staff: Made sure our district’s conceal carry policy was implemented in our schools.  This has greatly increased our readiness and ability to respond. Policy CKA – Firearms: Personnel Authorized to Carry
  • Controversial Speech Policy: Prohibits staff from proselytizing to students personal political, religious, or ideological beliefs.  Ensures parents can trust our schools’ focus is on the approved curriculum. Policy INB – Teaching Controversial Issues
  • Library and Materials policy: Created a transparent process whereby concerned stakeholders can seek redress for inappropriate materials / books in our schools.  The process is open and public so that all concerned parties can know and understand what material has been removed or will stay in place and why. Policy IJLA – Stakeholder Concerns About Curriculum, Materials, Programs, or Events
  • Parental Rights: Codifies a parent’s right to be informed and empowered to make decisions about their child’s education, health, and welfare. Policy KBB – Parental Rights–