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Resident praises custodial work but warns board about library content and social media exposure
Summary
Paul Reese thanked custodial staff for summer facility work and credited board decisions that enabled it, then criticized library books he characterized as "pornographic" and warned about Snapchat exposing children to sexual content; his remarks were uncensored in part by asterisks in the transcript and prompted no formal board response in the meeting.
Paul Reese used his allotted public comment time at the Oct. 9 Waukesha board meeting to both praise district custodial staff and raise concerns about materials and online content affecting students.
Reese began by congratulating custodians for finishing extensive summer projects, praising their coordination and the board's decisions (including building closures and use of one-time COVID funds) that he said made the work possible. He then shifted to criticism: referencing earlier controversy about "pornographic books in the libraries," Reese said he believes there is "more [sexual content] in our schools today than there ever has been," and he criticized parents for allowing children unrestricted access to smartphones and apps such as Snapchat.
In his remarks, Reese used strongly worded language (partially censored in the transcript with asterisks) to describe his concerns that Snapchat and similar platforms "get away with peddling" harmful content and that such exposure is linked to mental-health crises he perceives among students. He named no specific titles or library records during the comment and offered no formal request for board action at that time.
No board member offered a formal rebuttal during the public-comment period recorded in the transcript.
