D303 Board Member Resigns; Colleague Slams Residents’ Harassment

ST. CHARLES, IL — A St. Charles District 303 school board member stepped down Monday halfway through his first term, prompting a plea for civility from one of his former colleagues.

Board President Nick Manheim started Monday’s meeting by announcing Michael Bryant had tendered his resignation, which was effective immediately.

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Manheim did not reveal Bryant’s reasons for resigning, but board Vice President Carolyn Waibel made it clear she believes residents’ harassment of members and school officials amid the coronavirus pandemic played a major role in his departure.

“We took an oath to respect our taxpayers’ interests, respect the free expression of the opinions of the board members,” Wabiel said. “We didn’t take the oath to be harassed in our homes, to be emailed 12 times in two hours, to be called names, to be hung up on. That’s not what this job is about.”

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Waibel said she has been called “condescending” by many residents after trying to talk about the harassment school board members are experiencing while trying to make difficult decisions about in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I feel it’s important to sit in this chair, use the pulpit we’ve been given and talk about the morality we’re losing — because we are losing it in this community,” Waibel said. “We’re concerned about me, my and I, and we’ve completely lost sight (of) human decency.”

The board’s vice president also warned Bryant’s resignation could be the first of several in the near future due to members’ treatment by residents, urging them to “dial down the hate.”

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District 303 board members have drawn residents’ ire on several occasions for supporting hybrid learning models that split students between classrooms and home, instead of authorizing full-time in-person learning.

In October, parents accused the president of the St. Charles Education of fearmongering after he asked board members to “visit the front lines” to understand the “painful reality” of in-person classes amid the pandemic.

District 303 will soon publish requirements and related information on its website for anyone who wants to be considered for a two-year appointment to finish Bryant’s term. The board has 60 days to appoint his successor, Manheim said.

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