Political move? Nebraska State Board of Education forbids public comment during final public meeting before Nov. 8 election

The Nebraska State Board of Education (SBOE) won’t allow public comment at its Nov. 4 meeting, with critics suggesting the move is political.

The Friday meeting is just four days before the Nov. 8 midterms in which three of the board’s eight members are up for re-election, and one seat is open due to retirement.

While the move is technically permitted by state statute, the decision has angered many parents and activists across the state, who see the decision as a brazen attempt to shield embattled incumbents from being asked uncomfortable questions that might harm their political chances.

The meeting is not a closed session, and although members of the public may attend no one will be permitted to ask questions, make comments or challenge statements made by board members. Comments may be mailed in, although those comments will not be read aloud and will only be entered into the record at a later date, according to the SBOE website.

Critics point out these rules ensure no surprises befall the incumbent SBOE members, while also giving them free rein to both campaign for themselves and against their opponents without rebuttal. 

Several activists and concerned parents are speaking out on social media about these last-minute changes.  

Board members “don’t want to hear from the public on their plans on how to educate your children and grandchildren,” Denise Bradshaw, a conservative woman active in issues involving Nebraska’s public schools, wrote in a Facebook post.  

Tiffany Carter, a Nebraska mother of two, said she believes the move may be related to her appearance at October’s SBOE meeting, in which she read aloud from a sexually explicit book found in the Fremont High School library – after many on the board had denied such material could be found in Nebraska public schools. 

The races for the four SBOE seats to be decided Tuesday are largely toss-ups, as each challenger is polling competitively, is well-funded and boasts significant grassroots support. 

Despite being barred from speaking, activists and parents are planning for a large turnout at Friday’s 9 a.m. meeting to show their displeasure with this decision specifically, and the SBOE in general. The call to attend is sweeping through social media. 

“Now is the time to show up like never before,” Bradshaw wrote in her Facebook post.