KSD Board President Moticka’s Pattern of Concerning Behavior Warrants Action
*** See the text below these images for context! ***
There has been a lot of concern & chatter on social media and in the community this week about KSD Board President Judy Moticka’s recent Facebook post that includes the line, “all I can add is 8647.” While extreme concern about Ms. Moticka’s judgement and leadership is valid, it does not stem simply from this single post. Please take time to consider all of this and act accordingly.
For those who are not aware, “8647” is widely associated with a call for violence against President Trump. The slang term "86" dates back to the early 20th century and was initially used as a restaurant code to indicate that an item was sold out or that a customer should be refused service, but it has evolved and is used particularly in organized crime or law enforcement slang to mean killing a person perceived as a threat. “47” refers to Trump, the 47th president of the USA. Former FBI Director Comey was indicted for a similar post.
We do not presume to know exactly what Moticka meant by her post, but there is no excuse for this kind of irresponsible post by a school board president. And, this post did not occur in a vacuum. It is critical that our community looks beyond the pointless discussions about “choosing sides” between political parties and instead addresses the facts about Moticka vs. the expectations of a school board member.
Moticka’s post is consistent with her concerning pattern of behavior that is divisive, cruel, disrespectful and reckless, particularly for a person supposedly representing and leading a public school district. Simply put, Moticka does not model what we expect of our children. Her behavior violates what the Board of Education asserts to be the guiding principles of our school district!
It is important to remember that as an elected leader, the President serves as a representative of the entire community and is entrusted with fostering an environment where all students, families, and taxpayers feel respected and valued. Moticka has a track record of being divisive and disrespectful, and her repeated dismissal of families who do not share her beliefs or want to blindly hand their children over to the school district while ignoring laws and policies is unacceptable. (See her 2021 WKT letter-to-the-editor in which she dismissed concerned parents as “parroting right-wing conspiracy theories” and suggested that concerned parents “homeschool or find a private/parochial school that hews to your narrow beliefs.")
The visual images above are just a few of the many examples. Is “do as I say, not as I do” appropriate for a school board president?!
Please do not sit by and expect that other people will address this. The Board needs to hear from the community! If you are concerned about the poor and divisive judgement of Ms. Moticka and want better for Kirkwood, please write to the KSD school board members TODAY, insisting that she resigns or that the Board removes her from her role.
The Board email addresses are: judy.moticka@kirkwoodschools.org, jeanmarie.andrews@kirkwoodschools.org, susan.hill@kirkwoodschools.org, james.harding@kirkwoodschools.org, tanya.craft@kirkwoodschools.org, laura.hepburn@kirkwoodschools.org, lisa.nieman@kirkwoodschools.org
You can also submit a comment (including anonymously) through KSD’s Let’s Talk feature.
Enough is enough. Don’t be silent and expect things to improve. Please share this with other community members who need to know.
