Lakota School Board member says photos should help others understand district’s ‘environment’

BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio (ENQUIRER/WXIX) - The Lakota Local School District released photos taken by a school board member during an unscheduled stop at two schools, a visit that prompted a notice of trespassing.

The photos obtained by our media partners at the Cincinnati Enquirer were taken by Lakota School Board Member Darbi Boddy in May.

The dozens of pictures vary in context from civil rights timeline projects done by the children, to messages signifying that all are accepted in the building or classroom, the photos show. Some appear to be projects that just have a rainbow-colored theme.

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After taking these pictures at two different schools in the district, Boddy was issued a notice of trespassing.

Boddy said in a Facebook post she didn’t sneak into the schools and these visits were not a secret.

FOX19 NOW did reach out to Boddy with some questions about the photos.

Below is her response in full:

As you probably know, I took those photos as a board member during a school inspection to document some of what I observed. I am obligated as a member of the Board of Education at Lakota to have a comprehensive understanding of the learning environment in our schools.
Those pictures will at some point be part of a collection that will be used to help others understand that environment.
I’m not sure what I can say about the photos, I think they speak for themselves and at this time I’m really not in the position to do an interview, but please feel free to send me any questions you may have, and I will back to you.
Having said that, I can say that the implications and consequences of the actions taken by my fellow board members and the administrations to push back on my attempts to do my job are being closely considered. The law and policies are not on their side.
There are consequences for acting in such haste and with such obvious prejudice, there is a lot to consider.
Darbi Boddy

Lakota Local School District issued a statement saying:

The photos were allegedly taken on May 4, according to the Enquirer.

A few days after the photos were said to be taken, Boddy appeared at a school board meeting where she said she will not resign.

An online petition also circulated earlier this year to censure Boddy “for her continued disrespect and aggression” towards district superintendent Matt Miller. The petition accuses Boddy of “repeatedly attacking” Miller’s integrity and acting in a way that “undermine[s] the confidence in District leadership at the Board level.”

>> ‘I will not resign:’ Lakota School Board member defiant after controversies, criticism <<

An incident in late April followed after Boddy authored a Facebook post the majority of which dealt with critical race theory. Boddy ran for the school board on a platform opposing CRT.

In the Facebook post, Boddy urged the school board to slow down in hiring an outside firm ostensibly to investigate whether CRT exists in Lakota Schools. She objected to hiring the firm without the board ensuring that both board members and the firm have an understanding of what CRT actually is.

Boddy read the following statement aloud at the board meeting Monday:

“I would like to publicly thank those parents and community members who have asked me to stand firm through what they see as political attacks and to remember that a desire for accountability and transparency is a Cardinal sin to most in power and certainly to the status quo.

“I will not resign and will continue to get to the bottom of issues that were behind my election. CRT is alive and well in the programs and teachings at Lakota.

“I will be proposing meaningful community conversations to define and demystify the philosophy, expose its tenents and associated programs, programs and teachings that are designed to ensure CRT permeates every aspect of a child’s education.”

School boards in Ohio do not have the authority to remove one of their fellow board members from the board.

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