Dupage Policy Journal

Controversial CUSD 200 school board member Mary Yeboah recently questioned the inclusion of Columbus Day on a calendar at a school board meeting, leaving at least one former lawmaker to say she should resign.

In her statements, Yeboah asked six rhetorical questions.

“(C)ould maintaining this District 200 calendar event unintentionally support a myth of U.S. exceptionalism that could undermine district efforts to create diverse, inclusive schools for all children?” Yeboah said.

Jeanne Ives, former state representative and CEO of Breakthrough Ideas, said Yeboah — and her fellow school board members — should step down.

“She should resign, but so should the other school board members who never said a word to rebuke her on the spot.  They now all get painted with her comments,” Ives said.  

Yeboah, who moonlights as a consultant for an education curriculum company, questioned the inclusion of Columbus Day on the upcoming school year calendar in addition to a myriad of other issues.

“To be very clear, these are not questions that I expect you to answer right now. I'm asking them for the benefit of reflective thinking for the district, especially in the months leading up to the approval of these calendars,” she said during the meeting.  

She included five other rhetorical questions on why maintaining the holiday is not in CUSD200’s favor.

Yeboah is the director of graduate student life at Wheaton College. She holds a PhD in organizational leadership and policy from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Her side gig is with Culturally Responsive School Leadership Institute where he assists school districts with equity audits and training.

The non-profit’s president and CEO is Muhammad Khalifa, who has been called a “Muslim evangelist” who has ties to alleged anti-Semitic groups. Part of his focus is on “Christian privilege.”