Elections board to check charge that school worker fudged petition
Sooooooooooooo happy! I love Mr. Spohn! He's my favorite teacher I never had! :)
April McClellan-Copeland
Plain Dealer Reporter
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
-- The Summit County Board of Elections will hold a hearing next week to determine whether a Hudson school district employee falsified a nominating petition for a school board candidate.
The elections board decided Tuesday to hear testimony from people who signed nominating petitions for incumbent James Hackney. The goal is to learn whether school district employee Donna Walling circulated one of the petitions, as she attested by signing the bottom of the document.
A residents group called Save Our Schools asked elections officials to investigate whether the petition was circulated by Walling's supervisor, Patricia Picard, the district's director of teaching and learning.
If the board of elections finds that the petition was falsified, the matter could be turned over to the Summit County prosecutor's office, said elections board Director Bryan Williams.
People who misrepresent themselves as circulators of nominating petitions can be charged with felonies.
If the petition has been falsified, the board must determine if Hackney has valid signatures of 75 registered voters, which he must have to stay on the ballot. Hackney submitted 120 signatures. The board determined that 83 are valid, Williams said.
"There is the possibility that if any of the signatures are invalidated, Mr. Hackney could be decertified from the ballot," Williams said.
Board officials will subpoena eight circulators of petitions, Williams said. Two signers of the petition challenged by Save Our Schools -- Hudson School Superintendent Maryann Wolowiec and Hudson Education Association President David Spohn -- are among the 12 to be subpoenaed.
Wolowiec, whose signature is first on the petition, said she could not remember if Walling or Picard circulated it.
"I signed several petitions for board members at the same time before a board meeting," Wolowiec said. "I didn't look to see whose signature was at the bottom and I was not paying attention to who handed it to me."
Spohn could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Save Our Schools asked the elections board to investigate several accusations, including whether some school employees felt intimidated through being asked to sign incumbents' petitions on district property during working hours.
Wolowiec said the board will review its policy on staff participation in political activities, which does not address circulating petitions during work hours.
Plain Dealer reporter Steve Luttner contributed to this story.
© 2005 The Plain Dealer
© 2005 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.
Elections board to check charge that school worker fudged petition
April McClellan-Copeland
Plain Dealer Reporter
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
-- The Summit County Board of Elections will hold a hearing next week to determine whether a Hudson school district employee falsified a nominating petition for a school board candidate.
The elections board decided Tuesday to hear testimony from people who signed nominating petitions for incumbent James Hackney. The goal is to learn whether school district employee Donna Walling circulated one of the petitions, as she attested by signing the bottom of the document.
A residents group called Save Our Schools asked elections officials to investigate whether the petition was circulated by Walling's supervisor, Patricia Picard, the district's director of teaching and learning.
If the board of elections finds that the petition was falsified, the matter could be turned over to the Summit County prosecutor's office, said elections board Director Bryan Williams.
People who misrepresent themselves as circulators of nominating petitions can be charged with felonies.
If the petition has been falsified, the board must determine if Hackney has valid signatures of 75 registered voters, which he must have to stay on the ballot. Hackney submitted 120 signatures. The board determined that 83 are valid, Williams said.
"There is the possibility that if any of the signatures are invalidated, Mr. Hackney could be decertified from the ballot," Williams said.
Board officials will subpoena eight circulators of petitions, Williams said. Two signers of the petition challenged by Save Our Schools -- Hudson School Superintendent Maryann Wolowiec and Hudson Education Association President David Spohn -- are among the 12 to be subpoenaed.
Wolowiec, whose signature is first on the petition, said she could not remember if Walling or Picard circulated it.
"I signed several petitions for board members at the same time before a board meeting," Wolowiec said. "I didn't look to see whose signature was at the bottom and I was not paying attention to who handed it to me."
Spohn could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Save Our Schools asked the elections board to investigate several accusations, including whether some school employees felt intimidated through being asked to sign incumbents' petitions on district property during working hours.
Wolowiec said the board will review its policy on staff participation in political activities, which does not address circulating petitions during work hours.
Plain Dealer reporter Steve Luttner contributed to this story.
© 2005 The Plain Dealer
© 2005 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.
posted by Sebosmile @ 6:45 PM
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