What follows is in response to an editorial published by Scott Jensen on his campaign website and the Families for Fremont 1 PAC Facebook page. The full text of Mr. Jensen’s opinion piece can be found here.
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In an election cycle where we have taken pride in our dedication to campaigning based solely on the merits of these three candidates, some in the community would rather focus on negative campaigning. Lander Schools for the Future (LSF) is dismayed by the spread of lies and misinformation and saddened by the disrespect shown to Lander School Board Candidates Mara Gans, Buck Tilton, and Daniel McLane.
This negativity began with a door hanger (see below) left at some residences by Families for Fremont 1 (FF1), a Political Action Committee that supports Taylor Jacobs, Scott Jensen, and Virginia Arbery. This hanger falsely states misinformation about the purpose, beliefs, values, and supporters of Lander Schools for the Future. They claimed that LSF is a liberal group backed by major far-leaning groups from New York, but that is untrue. LSF is a non-partisan collection of Lander residents, with support and volunteers from all political backgrounds. Their complaint about LSF being “liberal” in a non-partisan election was then followed by their own campaign’s focus on “Conservative Values”.
Door hanger placed on some homes by Families for Fremont 1 - side 1
Door hanger placed on some homes by Families for Fremont 1 - side 2
Wyoming Family Alliance paid advertising for Jensen, Jacobs, and Arbery
Front side of canvassing form for volunteers
Back side of canvassing form for volunteers
Side one of Lander Schools for the Future door hanger
Side two of Lander Schools for the Future door hanger
LSF has not once claimed to be liberal/progressive or conservative. School board positions are non-partisan and meant to be unaffiliated with any political party or ideology. While candidates do have their personal beliefs that will inform their decisions, it is essential that trustees are able to separate from those beliefs when it is in the best interest of the students, parents, teachers, and schools of FCSD #1.
FF1 then promoted claims that the action of private individual(s) was a tactic to discredit and unseat Taylor Jacobs from her position on the board. This action was the threat of a lawsuit due to a perceived conflict of interest while she was a sitting board member and accepting a contract to provide services to the school district. Lander Schools for the Future had nothing to do with this filing, nor have Ms. Gans, Mr. Tilton, and Mr. McLane.
FCSD #1 Board Chairman Kail and Vice-Chair Jensen have used inflammatory language, calling this a political move and calling the individual(s) who filed the motion against Ms. Jacobs “cowardly” for doing so and for remaining anonymous. Mr. Jensen and Ms. Jacobs have since engaged in online public dialogue strongly suggesting that LSF, Ms. Gans, Mr. Tilton, or Mr. McLane were complicit. This is patently false. This amounts to Mr. Jensen and Ms. Jacobs perpetuating these unsubstantiated, untruthful negative campaign tactics. This behavior has also spurred community members to latch onto these falsehoods, which continue to spread.
To clarify the claims about Lander Schools for the Future’s links to a New York group “Markers for Democracy”, it is important to know that throughout this election cycle, LSF has met with several groups to share information about our campaign and to learn from others who have run successful campaigns. On August 12, 2024, Lander Schools for the Future met with a group of women associated with Markers for Democracy. The organization’s host lives in New York City, NY and the women involved are spread across the country, including the sister-in-law of one of our local volunteers. Lander Schools for the Future has filed financial reports and disclosures that reflect that LSF has not received any donations from Markers for Democracy or other organizations with which they are associated.
While Mr. Jensen has written an opinion piece on his campaign site addressing these and other concerns, we believe it is important to note that Families for Fremont 1 PAC is endorsed and receiving paid advertising (see image) from Wyoming Family Alliance, which, though based in Wyoming, is run by far-right conservative leadership. It seems hypocritical to focus so heavily on whether LSF is tied to far-left groups (who are not funding our campaign) while they are funded by an extremist group.
The candidates supported by LSF have family and friends who have contributed to their campaigns and that support should not be limited by physical boundaries. Over 90% of our donations are from Wyoming. This incredible support from our community is a huge point of pride for us and our candidates and shows the level of commitment that Lander has to this election and to these candidates.
As for the rest of Jensen’s claims, we’d like to address them individually:
As for the rest of Jensen’s claims, we’d like to address them individually:
Mara Gans, Daniel McLane, and Buck Tilton unequivocally do not support pornography in schools. What they do support is the First Amendment and the “Miller Test” as determined by three separate Supreme Court cases: Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15, 24-25 (1973); Smith v. United States, 431 U.S. 291, 300-02, 309 (1977); and Pope v. Illinois, 481 U.S. 497, 500-01 (1987).
The Miller Test states that a book must meet all three criteria:
Whether the average person, applying contemporary adult community standards, finds that the matter, taken as a whole, appeals to prurient interests (i.e., an erotic, lascivious, abnormal, unhealthy, degrading, shameful, or morbid interest in nudity, sex, or excretion);
Whether the average person, applying contemporary adult community standards, finds that the matter depicts or describes sexual conduct in a patently offensive way (i.e., ultimate sexual acts, normal or perverted, actual or simulated, masturbation, excretory functions, lewd exhibition of the genitals, or sadomasochistic sexual abuse); and
Whether a reasonable person finds that the matter, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
This is what determines obscenity, through determination in a court of law with a jury of the community. These candidates support legal precedent as well as an individual parent’s right to request that their child not be allowed to access certain materials.
Lander Schools for the Future, Gans, Tilton, and McLane have all communicated several key points clearly throughout this election. The candidates each have a platform on their website and regularly state their positions on issues on their social media pages. At no time has the PAC directly addressed the three candidates we do not support. These candidates have not brought up other school board candidates or trustees in a negative light beyond the context of factual voting records. There have been no personal attacks. LSF, Gans, Tilton, and McLane have focused on what they wish to see happen in FCSD #1.
To reiterate the first statement: Lander Schools for the Future, Mara Gans, Buck Tilton, and Daniel McLane have no knowledge and no part in the legal action threatened to Ms. Jacobs. To continue to perpetuate the claim is false and defamatory. Further, we are unaware of who took this action and cannot speak to their motives or purpose.
Jensen continues to call people cowardly for taking action regarding their concern. It is within someone’s rights to lodge a complaint when they feel they have been wronged and for a sitting board member to question their anonymity by calling them cowardly only serves to illustrate why the person chose anonymity to begin with.
Canvassing is standard practice for campaigns. This is something that the Families for Fremont 1 PAC has done as well, with clear lies and inflammatory statements on their door-to-door literature, while Lander Schools for the Future took great effort to share only facts. FF1 issued a complaint that our canvassing script was found and somehow displayed the negativity we were pushing, however, it was clearly stated on the document that canvassers were not to address Jensen and Jacobs’ beliefs directly unless asked. This was because we are campaigning on the candidates’ merits rather than their opponent's deficits. The volunteer canvassing form can be viewed below. The door hanger stated nothing about Jensen, Jacobs, or Arbery, and can also be viewed below. The facts we shared with ONLY THE VOLUNTEERS about Jacobs and Jensen’s beliefs are as follows (with Jensen’s claims and our response):
Proposed policies that would protect bullying of students (transgender specifically) - Jensen claims this is “blatantly false,” however the language of the policy allows for students to intentionally and knowingly misgender and deadname their classmates without recourse. This is bullying and would be sanctioned (allowed) under this policy.
Mandatory Drug Testing for Students - Jensen claims this is a "half-truth" as it only applies to students participating in activities. His rebuttal is a half-truth in itself as parents can opt their students into the drug testing pool regardless of their participation in activities. This mandatory testing begins in grade 6 and covers activities such as student council, State Marching Band, and athletics.
Removing Masks During Covid - Jensen claims this is a "half-truth" only because he and Jacobs would have removed masks more quickly if they could have. They both voted to refuse to follow the Wyoming Department of Health mandates.
Removed protected class language from policy - Jensen claims this is a "half-truth" because he and Jacobs voted to remove protected classes that were “not defined in law” including veteran status. Despite hours of testimony from groups who were removed from the policy, Jensen claimed that bullying wasn’t pervasive because they hadn’t filed complaints and that there was no legal requirement to protect students and staff due to pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or veteran status, they were unnecessary in the policy. He claims we need less division, not more, which we agree with. However, when the community came together in support of adding that language only two years prior, it was clear that this was what the community values of Lander represented. According to the minutes on June 18, 2019 - "All of the comments favored adding gender identity to the list of protected classes in this policy," and "There was a lengthy discussion around ‘elevating’ one group over another which then led into bullying vs. non-discrimination. Dr. Barker reminded board members there is a bullying policy in place that addresses bullying. We are looking specifically at non-discrimination." On April 5, 2022, legal counsel "indicated that he would leave specific categories as a list."
Jensen voted for concealed-carry but Jacobs has confirmed she supports it. - Jensen calls this a "half-truth" and we owe an apology for the fact-check on this one. Jensen and Jacobs were not on the board when the policy was passed, however, Jensen spoke in favor of the concealed carry policy in his capacity as an FBI agent. He joined the board two weeks after the policy passed.
Jensen currently supports a proposed transgender policy that targets transgender students and protects bullies. Jacobs has been unclear on her stance, though appears to lean toward supporting it. - Jensen calls this a "half-truth" because he doesn’t understand the danger in creating such a policy. He and Jacobs have shown support for the policy (called “Transgender Considerations”) that would require staff to “out” LGBTQ students regardless of the safety of such a choice. Many students are not “out” at home because they would be abused, neglected, or disowned. Students often find themselves homeless in this situation and as it is not something that is expected or that comes with warning signs the way other forms of abuse do, it is essential that school staff never put a kid in a position where this could happen. When a kid tells a teacher or counselor that they don’t want their parents to know they are LGBTQ because they’re afraid of the consequences, it is best to err on the side of the student’s right to privacy and safety over the parent’s right to know everything. It is the parent’s responsibility to build the kind of trusting relationship with their child where this is not a concern for them.
Jensen has stated that children do not have many rights in school. - Jensen calls this a "half-truth". His rebuttal acknowledges that students have the right to free speech, but the context of this statement was in regard to forced outing of LGBTQ students. Their right to safety did not take precedence over their parents’ rights to be told everything about their child’s life - and Mr. Jensen said in this context that students don’t have rights. This conversation took place during the discussion on policy KBB - Parental Rights at the meeting on June 18, 2024.
Preventing student-led organizations at the middle school - Jensen acknowledges that this is "truth" but that “there are many staff and teacher-led organizations in the middle school.” While this is accurate, the conversation began shortly after an advisor at LMS made the request to create a Gay-Straight-Alliance (GSA) as an anti-bullying club to bridge the gap between students and help them figure out how to work together to support each other. Jensen’s rationale was based on a lack of trust in middle school students to know how to run a group and that they should have no access to non-curricular organizations because they do not have the capacity to understand organizational structures (April 16, 2024 Regular Meeting). This also goes against legal precedent because middle schools are secondary schools and if open forum clubs are allowed in any secondary school in the district, they must be allowed in all. They are allowed at LVHS and Pathfinder.
Jensen claims that he and Jacobs have done more to reduce division in their terms on the board, but at every turn, there is only more division and hurtful rhetoric. When families come to the board with concerns, they are met with denial, and ultimately dismissal of those concerns. Families for Fremont 1 began the negative campaigning this election cycle yet deflect and place blame on others.
Lander Schools for the Future has worked hard to support the campaigns of Mara Gans, Buck Tilton, and Daniel McLane and remains focused on the issues they care about most and that are most important to ensuring student success. We are proud of the campaigns these candidates have run. They have been positive, supportive, and encouraging. We intend to finish this election as we began: with a non-partisan campaign with integrity, transparency, honesty, and a focus on the views and values that show why Mara, Daniel, and Buck are the best candidates for school board in 2024.
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