February 17, 2022 12:26 PM UTC

DougCo Blinks At Doxxing Their Own Teachers

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: In a related story, watch this clip from a recent DougCo School Board meeting in which School Board member Kaylee Winegar gets absolutely demolished by a parent during an open discussion period:

Exactly. This was epic. pic.twitter.com/CgSmoKDCXl

— Niusulumomof8 (@niusulumomof8) February 17, 2022

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Carol McKinley of the Colorado Springs Gazette reports on the end (for now) of a threat to publicly release the names of all of the teachers who participated in a protest against the firing without cause of Douglas County Schools superintendent Corey Wise on February 3rd–which as we noted at that time was retaliation eagerly promoted on Denver AM talk radio by former prosecutor George Brauchler and other conservative hosts:

After an executive session which lasted over an hour, the Douglas County School Board opened Wednesday’s online special meeting with an announcement that the names of teachers who participated in a sick out Feb. would stay private.

“At this time the district will not be releasing the names,” said Board President Mike Peterson, who went on to say that it was distressing that threatening leaflets had been placed on some teacher’s cars earlier in the day…

The school board fired Wise the day after the “sickout.” Tensions in the Douglas County School District were high Wednesday as both sides in the dispute over Wise waited to see if the records request to release the teachers’ names would be granted.

Denver7’s Meghan Lopez reports on threatening leaflets that DougCo teachers found on their cars yesterday:

“Most Teachers Are Good and We Appreciate Them! You Are Bad! Get Out and Leave! All Teachers Unions Are Bad! Teachers Unions Are Not For The Kids and Not For the Parents! The Whole Nation Sees That! Douglas County Parents, Grandparents and Taxpayers OWN the Schools! Remember That! We Approve The Curriculum, NOT YOU, NOT the Teachers Unions.”

The letters were found on cars that had their windows painted in support of Wise at Legend High School and Iron Horse Elementary.

It’s not known whether the threatening letters that appeared on teachers’ cars just prior to this decision were the tipping point, confirming the extreme folly of the district inviting retaliation by the public against teachers who protested the ouster of Superintendent Wise–but it sure looks like they didn’t help. The Denver Post’s Jessica Seaman reports on the much more contrite attitude from the conservative school board majority last night:

“There may have been many different reasons teachers were absent that day and many did so only after DCSD moved to a no-student contact day,” said board president Mike Peterson. “At this time, the district will not be releasing the names…”

“This is no way to move forward as a district,” Peterson said about the flyers. “Our teachers should be respected and supported for the work they do for our students every day.” [Pols emphasis]

As for George Brauchler, Dan Caplis, and other Republicans who got swept up in the call to see teachers personally intimidated for standing up for their superintendent?

Backpedaling furiously:

I have never sought the addresses of any public person with whom I have disagreed. Since you reference me by name for having suggested a list of NAMES be publicly available, maybe consider pointing out I have not done what you put in this tweet. #copolitics #journalism

— George Brauchler (@GeorgeBrauchler) February 16, 2022

Now folks, there is a legal distinction between publicizing just the names vs. names and addresses of persons one wants to see harassed for whatever reason–not even factoring teachers who were absent for reasons other than the protest, who are just collateral damage. But the distinction is small enough that it in no way excuses the intent of posting the list of these names, which is to subject teachers in Douglas County Schools to harassment. At a certain level, that’s either what you want or it isn’t.

And if harassing teachers is something you want, that’s information the public actually needs.