By: Diane Benjamin

I was planning on posting this yesterday, it fit in well with Bill of Rights Day! I wasn’t able to when the Internet went out.

This story started out really long! Instead of one long story it will be in 2 parts.

The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution were ratified on December 15, 1791. 230 years ago! We call them the Bill of Rights. Citizens at the time demanded a list showing what government CAN NOT DO. The entire Constitution limits the power of government because a war had just been fought to abolish tyranny. This list of Rights enshrined the Rights of citizens in law.

District 87 does not live stream school board meetings. They don’t video the meetings and post them later either. Why is that? They don’t want you to know what they are up to? Proof of that is in Part 2.

According to the Pantagraph yesterday Reilly and his family were so worried about McCurdy they waited 3 months to ban him. It appears the on-line version has been edited to remove Barry’s fear comments. Anybody have the print edition? Is the paper still printed?

District-87-board-bans-clinton-man-for-profane-threatening-language-at-board-meeting

The Pantagraph didn’t bother to ask why it took 3 months!

Here is what really happen at the meeting 3 months ago. The comments made by Shane McCurdy were AFTER the meeting was adjourned and after a parent was refused the right to speak because she didn’t sign up before the meeting. In June there was no sign up, people just took turns speaking, some more than once. The official rules are now posted on their website.

Somebody cut the lady’s mic and then turned the lights off on the stage, some of the Board members had already left when Shane made his comments. He did not “charge” the board, the video is below. If District 87 has other video they need to produce it.

According to the Pantagraph article, the resolution banning McCurdy states:

…failing to comport himself with civility during an open board meeting, stepping toward board members and administrators in a physically intimidating and threatening manner while pointing in their direction while using profane, threatening and otherwise inappropriate language.

The Board meeting was over when his comments were made. Nothing happened “during an open board meeting”, so Reilly and company stretched the truth and the person who wrote the article didn’t bother to get facts before writing it.

No, I don’t approve of his language and people around him didn’t either. Does “watching you” constitute a threat? It is the DUTY of CITIZENS to “watch” elected officials. When nobody “watches” they turn into Barry Reilly. (see Part 2)

The point is there was no threat as evidenced by Reilly taking 3 months to act on his supposed terror.

Barry Reilly knew I received the FOIA that will be in Part 2. Did he abuse Shane McCurdy to deflect from his election antics? Keep in mind the school board meeting in question happened 3 months before the Board decided to ban Shane from the property!

Taking 3 months to act proves there wasn’t any fear of Shane McCurdy. District 87 took away his rights to address government that is in the 1st Amendment – back to the Bill of Rights. Worse, they did it in Closed Session. See the reasons allowed for holding SECRET Meetings here, agenda says they met under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(4) and (8): https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=84

Section (8) states:

(8) Security procedures, school building safety and

security, and the use of personnel and equipment to respond to an actual, a threatened, or a reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees, students, staff, the public, or public property.

Again, they didn’t act for THREE MONTHS!

They did this in secret to intimate Shane, Board members, Reilly, and others were against one man behind closed doors. Shane was in the meeting without a lawyer or any parents that were present at that meeting. I believe this was done to deflect from what Barry Reilly did before the School Board election last April.

Stay tuned for Part 2.

Yesterday was Bill of Rights Day-Except in District 87: Part 2