'Betrayal and manipulation': Grassroots group initiates recall process for 4 MPS board members amid ongoing financial crisis
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- More dominoes fell Wednesday, June 12, in the ongoing MPS financial scandal. A grassroots group is now targeting four board members in a recall effort. They will need to secure the support of thousands of people in order to be successful.
To this point the scandal has taken down the former comptroller and superintendent. Soon four board seats could be at stake.
Dozens of passionate and furious people made clear they are coming for the people they hold responsible for the district's failures.
Dr. Tamika Johnson was one of them. At a news conference at City Hall, she called the scandal the "Ultimate betrayal and manipulation." She added, "This fight is a big fight. This is a big fight that's long overdue."
MPS parent Linetta Alexander said, "This is a call to action."
Parent Chantia Davis said, "Enough is enough. I am here to express raw and unfiltered frustration and a sense of betrayal that has been felt by not only the parents but the children of the city of Milwaukee."
And Nicole Johnson told us, "We have to start over. It's time to start over."
Many of the people gathered at City Hall said they've been working for a better Milwaukee Public Schools for years.
Now they're uniting their efforts.
Nicole Johnson told us, "We are not part of any type of political party or special interest group. We are community members who are sick and tired of being sick and tired."
Now targeted for a recall are:
- Board President Marva Herndon
- Vice President Jilly Gokalgandhi
- Director Erika Siemsen
- Director Missy Zombor
Tamika Johnson said, "They were the ones who over the years played a huge role in deception."
The group said that deception was not telling the community how dire the district's financial state was.
Parent Elizabeth Brown called it "Malfeasance, the incompetence of these individuals."
A lot of the anger -steady since the scandal broke- was over the district and Board calling for the $252 million referendum that passed in the spring while not being open about the financial mismanagement.
Brown said of the vote to give the district more money, "To continue to pour water into a bucket with a hole in it made no sense to me."
But the group faces a long road ahead. They now must collect signatures.
To trigger a recall election, state law requires petitioners get 25% of the votes cast for governor in the most recent election, for each recall district.
That means there's a different number of required signatures in each district the group is targeting.
Nicole Johnson said, "Thousands of signatures. Thousands of signatures. Thousands of signatures. We are prepared."
If they do get enough valid signatures on the recall petitions, new elections would be held.
We asked Tamika Johnson if they have candidates lined up. She told us, "We're in the process of working those things out." She added, "We had people that were elected to fight on our behalf. But because they didn't, we have to do it."
But finding candidates could be a challenge. Right now, District 4's seat is currently open but only one person filed to run for it.
But they say they're ready, fueled by their frustration with people they elected to represent them.
Davis called it "Irresponsible leadership, and the sheer negligence of the MPS board."
Brown said, "We have the power, it's our time, and we're about to clean house."
Nicole Johnson said there is an easier way for the board members to effect change. "Resign. Make this easier for the public, make this easier for us getting back to the business of educating our kids."
Leaders of the effort say they're preparing all the necessary documents and will deliver them early Thursday morning to the Milwaukee Elections Commission. Once accepted, they'll have 60 days to collect signatures.