Dupage Policy Journal

Linda Samuta’s daughter recently graduated from Glenbard West High School in District 87 and is on her way to college but that doesn’t mean her mother is giving up on monitoring the school district and its leaders for alleged one-sided liberal indoctrination.

“My daughter and I would talk about what she was learning from her school-issued iPad and watch the assigned videos together,” Samuta told the DuPage Policy Journal. “There’d be extremely biased videos that rip the Republican Party and certain candidates or they would make a mockery of the Lord’s Prayer.”

The latest offense, according to Samuta, is a YouTube video that School Supt. David Larson distributed to parents and students while school buildings have been closed.

“Within the video there are links that support other organizations and donation sites, which is totally against policy,” Samuta said. “That's why we sent emails to the superintendent, letting him know that some parents have an issue with it.”

One of the links in the video's YouTube comments section belongs to what appears to be a Black Lives Matter (BLM) resource page and features ways to donate as well as vote, sign petitions and a map of protests.

"They are telling students that if caught in a protest and they catch COVID-19, they should lie and don't tell where they were," Samuta said. "There's a whole bunch of weird information like that to teach kids how to protest."

The second link belongs to ReclaimtheBlock.org, which was founded in 2018, and aims to coordinate with the Minneapolis City Council to transfer funding from law enforcement to other areas that promote health and safety in neighborhoods.

“The superintendent told me he wasn't promoting those links,” Samuta said. “He said he wasn’t even aware of those links. He just was aware of the video. To me that’s incompetent to not even be aware of what he is actually sending out to students, which they receive on their iPads.” 

According to the school district policy handbook, political activity is prohibited under Section P2:105, which states, ''No board member or employee shall intentionally use any district property or resources in connection with any political activity.” 

Samuta demanded that Larson retract the YouTube video based on Section P2:105.

But she didn’t receive the compliant response hoped for because the superintendent allegedly didn't think the district was supporting the BLM movement.

“His response was that the video was artistic, students had worked hard at putting it together and he wanted to share it with people to show how they were responding to the crisis,” said Samuta who spoke with Larson by phone and also received an email response from him.

Specifically, Dr. Larson replied on June 17:

"I always appreciate your willingness to engage, listen, and discuss with us regarding issues that are causing concern and questions. As I noted, the West video was produced/created by our students and we often showcase student work on Glenbard News.  Regarding the concern of formally supporting the organization Black Lives Matter, it was clear that students were viewing this phrase as a literal interpretation of the words, not a particular advocacy organization.  As a district we are careful to not formally support a non-educationally related entity or organization.  I do see how this could be misunderstood." 

E-mails were also copied to members of the District 87 Board of Education but Samuta said they were met with indifference. 

“It indicates quite a bias to us because one-sided political activity is totally against district policy,” she said. "Parents need to wake up and see how politically biased our public schools have become."

Although Samuta will no longer have a child attending a school in the district when buildings reopen, she plans to stay active politically. 

“My tax dollars are going to the school district and there are four seats opening up in 2021 on the District 87 school board so we're really hoping to recruit four people who will respect parents’ rights and turn the district back to neutral on teaching American history to love America,” she said.