Photo by John Worthington | The Reporter.
A packed house of residents turned out to the SASD board action meeting Thursday to demand action.
Nearly 200 residents showed up to reiterate their demands Thursday to a mostly silent Souderton Area School Board for action following a string of objectionable social media posts by board member Bill Formica.
“We have listened for a response from the board, and all we have heard are crickets,” said student Claire Spiegel during the school board action meeting at the District Administrative Office Building.
The meeting room was at maximum capacity, forcing dozens of people to wait outside. Residents were required to show photo ID to school police officers to enter the building.
“We must conduct the business of the school district, and we will accomplish that this evening. Any outbursts will not be tolerated,” warned board president Ken Keith at the top of the meeting. “We all have the right to express our views and opinions, but we must keep moving forward.”
The district has been beset by protest since late July when Formica made a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter, suggesting Vice President Kamala Harris had engaged in sex acts to further her political career.
Community members uncovered additional social media posts by Formica in which he disparaged teachers and non-English speakers and characterized slavery as beneficial for black Americans. The posts prompted widespread community outrage and a petition demanding Formica’s resignation.
At the August board action meeting, more than 500 community members turned out to make their voices heard, both for and against Formica. During the meeting, Formica apologized for his post about Harris, describing it as “impulsive” and “unprofessional.” He went on to accuse his critics of playing “partisan politics” and pledged to remain on the board.
“This is being twisted by the opposition into a convenient narrative. We all know what this backlash is really about — partisan politics,” said Formica. “The attempted intimidating tactics will not work on me. I can’t be intimidated because I just don’t care what people think about me. It’s not part of my DNA.”
Demands for response
At Thursday’s board action meeting, the overwhelming majority of speakers repeated their demands for a response to Formica’s comments, urging the board to live up to its motto of “Character Counts.”
“Mr. Formica is modeling the very behaviors are children are taught to avoid. Formica, as an elected official, you actually should be held to a higher standard than students in our district,” said Corinne DeGeiso. “This goes for all members of the board who sit silent while the community expresses their concerns for this behavior. Instead, it appears you condone Mr. Formica’s behavior and non-apology.”
“Mr. Formica and the board need to take the necessary steps to rectify the damage caused by these comments,” said Carol Luciani, Souderton Area Education Association President. “It’s imperative that our community feels confident that those in leadership are committed to fostering an environment of respect and decency. Your actions, or lack thereof, will speak louder than the words on the wall behind you.”
Several speakers defended Formica, arguing that he has properly atoned for his comments and that the controversy is distracting from more pertinent issues.
“Mr. Formica has publicly and privately apologized and has emphatically stated that he will not resign,” said Jay Schisler. “Why are we wasting our hard-earned tax dollars when this time should be spent to promote the wholesome education of our children? The only true answer is to put Jesus and prayer back in our schools and homes.”
Keith and Superintendent Frank Gallagher have stated that the board does not condone Formica’s comments but have otherwise remained silent on the controversy. The board lacks the authority to remove Formica except under limited circumstances.
The next Souderton school board meeting is on October 24 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit soudertonsd.org.
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