Rockwood School District officials have criticized remarks made by Board of Education member Jessica Clark at a conservative radio station event.
“They come to the school board meetings with their gay flags and their masks,” Clark said on Aug. 23 during an event for Real Talk (93.9 FM). “I use the word ‘libtard.’ They said I was an ableist ... They come in with the kids in the wheelchairs and everything ... Whatever. You are a libtard and I mean it and I stand on it.”
Clark said the Aug. 23 event marked the radio station’s first anniversary. Clark has a show on the station, “The Jessica Laurent Show.”
Rockwood officials issued a statement about Clark’s remarks after some of them were shared on social media.
“Intolerance and disrespect have no place in our schools or on our campuses, as it goes against our core values and mission to provide outstanding opportunities for all students,” the district’s statement said. “Director Clark’s views are her own and should not be construed as those of the Rockwood School District or as a reflection on any district staff or other board member. She is an elected official, and as district employees, we have a responsibility to work with the seven elected officials on the Board of Education.
“Members of the board have expressed to Director Clark that her disparaging remarks have a harmful impact on our students and families and that her views reflect poorly on the district and the more than 4,000 Rockwood employees who are committed to providing a safe and healthy learning environment for all students.”
During the event, Clark said the school district is fighting to “take control of our children.”
“When we talk about this transgender crap, you are not going to do that to my kids. My kids do not get to leave the house as girls and go to school and be validated as boys,” she said, earning applause from the crowd.
Clark also told the audience that critical race theory is being taught at schools.
“Trust and believe that those teachers who come from those universities have been indoctrinated,” she said.
In an interview on Monday, Aug. 29, Clark said she was sharing her experience as a school board member and the parts shared online were taken out of context.
“It was really recounting a story of what had happened over the last few months,” she said. “Some of the things that have been said have been said before. These are topics that I talked about online, on the radio show and podcast, way before running for school board and being a part of the school board. So, it’s not new.”
Clark said district officials told her they do not condone hate speech, such as the use of the word “libtard.”
“I don’t believe that it is hate speech,” she said. “I’m not attacking anybody and even the word that they’re upset about has never been directed toward anybody in the district. It’s never been directed toward the parent or student. It’s only commentary on let’s say, a YouTube video, that I’m doing commentary on for my show.”
Concerned parent
Jane Leahy-Smith, 55, of Wildwood said she believes Clark was speaking about her children when she mentioned children attending the meeting in wheelchairs and with pride flags.
Leahy-Smith has nine children, two who use wheelchairs and others who have other disabilities. Six of her children currently attend Rockwood schools, and three graduated from Eureka High School.
Clark said she was not speaking about any specific family or student.
Leahy-Smith said on Aug. 26 she started to get a lot of phone messages from friends, family and even a former teacher of one of her children.
“I kept getting these messages, like ‘Are you OK?’” she said.
Leahy-Smith said she had to watch the video featuring some of Clark’s comments twice to believe what she was hearing.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, she absolutely just made fun of my children,’” she said. “What was scarier than her was that people thought it was funny. Grown adults with children in the audience laughed.”
Leahy-Smith said she was shocked and upset after watching the video.
“(My children) haven’t done anything to you, but sit here and look at you,” she said. “I didn’t yell at anybody. I might occasionally send letters, but I am never disrespectful.”
Leahy-Smith said she hopes the board censures Clark.
“Personally, I would be thrilled if she resigned, but I don’t expect that to happen and I don’t think any amount of sensitivity training is going to make a difference,” she said.
Clark said she will not resign from the school board, despite several social media comments calling for her to step down.
“I’m not shocked by it, because it’s not new,” she said. “I feel like somebody taking it to the media is what caused the response that we’re seeing right now. Because this again, this is not the first time that somebody has gone and called me something or labeled me something or pulled something from my podcast.”
Clark drew criticism in the days leading up to her April election victory after people learned she had promoted herself in social media as a “sugar lifestyle coach.” She held a “sugaring” class for women and partnered with a brand called Sugar Ball to promote her course.
“Sugaring” is slang for a relationship in which one member profits from the other. Clark said the class was a ruse to empower women and the partnership was good marketing.