SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TURNS INTO JERRY SPRINGER EPISODE THANKS TO KAREN
It's a tale as old as time: you elect a Karen to the school board, and suddenly you're knee-deep in restraining orders and court appearances. Such is the case with Darbi "Karen" Boddy, a conservative member of the Lakota school board who has caused quite the stir in her short time in office.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "But wait, isn't 'Karen' just a derogatory term for entitled white women who demand to speak to the manager?" And while that may be true, it's also a fitting description for Ms. Boddy, who seems to relish in causing drama and making outrageous claims.
Let's start at the beginning. Ms. Boddy was elected to the Lakota school board in 2021, along with fellow conservative Isaac Adi. From the get-go, she made her presence known by spreading false and inflammatory claims about the district's curriculum, diversity initiatives, and LGBTQ+ issues. It's almost as if she was trying to stir up controversy for the sake of it.
In April 2022, Ms. Boddy took things to a whole new level when she posted a typo on Facebook that led to a pornographic website. She claimed that students were being exposed to inappropriate sexual materials at school, which the district and other board members denied. Needless to say, this did not go over well with her colleagues or the community at large.
The board censured Ms. Boddy and asked her to resign, but she refused. She also faced backlash from parents and community members who called for her removal. But that didn't stop her from attending a conference in Sarasota, Florida, hosted by The Leadership Institute, a conservative organization that trains conservatives on how to campaign, fundraise, and organize.
At the conference, Ms. Boddy allegedly embarrassed Mr. Adi and the Lakota School District by making a scene in front of other attendees. She also accused Mr. Adi of voting against her on LGBTQ+ issues and grabbed the microphone from the stage to make her claims. Mr. Adi said he felt harassed and threatened by Ms. Boddy and filed a civil protection order against her in September 2023.
And that's where things really started to get interesting. A judge granted the order, which barred Ms. Boddy from being within 500 feet of Mr. Adi or contacting him. The order also prevented Ms. Boddy from attending any school board meetings while Mr. Adi was present, effectively suspending her from her duties as a board member.
But did that stop Ms. Boddy from trying to attend meetings? Of course not! She filed an emergency motion to partially suspend the order so that she could attend the board meetings. A judge granted the motion on September 29, 2023, but imposed strict conditions on Ms. Boddy's behavior.
It's almost like Ms. Boddy is a character straight out of a sitcom. She's the wacky neighbor who always causes trouble but somehow manages to come out on top. But in reality, her behavior is no laughing matter. She's wasting taxpayer money on court appearances and causing unnecessary drama when she should be working to improve the district.
In the end, it's clear that electing a Karen to the school board is never a good idea. They may be entertaining at first, but their antics quickly become tiresome and detrimental to the community they serve. Let's hope that Lakota voters have learned their lesson and elect someone more competent next time around.
Court orders Lakota school board member Darbi Boddy to stay away from fellow board member https://www.fox19.com/2023/09/20/lakota-school-board-member-darbi-boddy-ordered-stay-away-fellow-board-member/
Judge overrules request to keep Lakota board member Darbi Boddy from today’s meeting https://www.journal-news.com/news/lakota-board-member-given-permission-to-attend-todays-meeting-despite-protection-order/2WE2TNLBUNER3ANNI57S7CQD6E/
School board member attends first meeting since protection order issued | WKRC https://local12.com/news/local/school-board-member-attends-first-meeting-since-protection-order-issued-lakota-liberty-township-darbi-boddy-crt-ela-classes-isaac-adi-harassment-file-pattern-cincinnati-ohio
Darbi Boddy attends Lakota Schools meeting despite protective order https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/butler-county/darbi-boddy-attends-lakota-schools-meeting-despite-protective-order-from-fellow-board-member
THE DEFT DIVE
FROM BING AI
Here is a summary of the controversy involving Lakota school board member Darbi Boddy:
- - Darbi Boddy is a conservative board member who was elected in 2021 along with Isaac Adi, another conservative candidate¹.
- - Boddy has been accused of spreading false and inflammatory claims about the district's curriculum, diversity initiatives, and LGBTQ+ issues¹²³.
- - In April 2022, Boddy posted a typo on Facebook that led to a pornographic website. She claimed that students were being exposed to inappropriate sexual materials at school, which the district and other board members denied⁴.
- - The board censured Boddy and asked her to resign, but she refused. She also faced backlash from parents and community members who called for her removal⁴.
- - In May 2022, Boddy attended a conference in Sarasota, Florida, hosted by The Leadership Institute, a conservative organization that trains conservatives on how to campaign, fundraise and organize¹.
- - At the conference, Boddy allegedly embarrassed Adi and the Lakota School District by making a scene in front of other attendees. She also accused Adi of voting against her on LGBTQ+ issues and grabbed the microphone from the stage to make her claims¹.
- - Adi said he felt harassed and threatened by Boddy and filed a civil protection order against her in September 2023. A judge granted the order, which barred Boddy from being within 500 feet of Adi or contacting him¹².
- - The order also prevented Boddy from attending any school board meetings while Adi was present, effectively suspending her from her duties as a board member².
- - Boddy filed an emergency motion to partially suspend the order so that she could attend the board meetings. A judge granted the motion on September 29, 2023, but imposed strict conditions on Boddy's behavior².
- - Boddy was also excluded from the new Lakota Community Diversity Council, which was created in June 2023 to replace the district's disbanded Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee³.
- - The previous committee had a heated meeting in May 2023, where Boddy accused the staff members of promoting terrorism for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and trying to indoctrinate children with Critical Race Theory³.
- - The other board members voted 4-1 to approve the new council without Boddy's participation. They said they wanted to have more productive and respectful conversations about diversity and inclusion in the district³.
Bing, 10/3/2023
- (1) Lakota School Board excludes controversial member in new diversity .... https://www.wvxu.org/education/2023-06-05/lakota-school-board-diversity-council-darby-boddi.
- (2) Darbi Boddy allowed to attend school board meetings despite civil .... https://www.wvxu.org/education/2023-09-29/darbi-boddy-allowed-attend-school-board-meetings-civil-protection-order.
- (3) Lakota School Board's Darbi Boddy receives civil protection order - WVXU. https://www.wvxu.org/education/2023-09-21/darbi-boddy-lakota-school-board-civil-protection-order.
- (4) Lakota school board meets Monday after censuring member. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2022/05/09/lakota-school-board-meets-monday-after-censuring-member/9702399002/.