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Resident urges apology for president's social‑media post; community raises school security concerns
Summary
At the Nov. 18 Riverview School District meeting, resident Ellen Keelan publicly criticized a post she attributed to the board president and asked for a formal apology. Other residents raised concerns about armed guards and resource officers under Act 67; the board did not take formal action on those comments.
During the meeting’s second hearing of citizens on Nov. 18, longtime Riverview resident Ellen Keelan read and criticized a social‑media post she attributed to the school board president, calling the language divisive and asking the president to apologize.
Keelan told the board she was "embarrassed and disappointed" and read part of the post aloud, saying it included the line, "if you voted for Trump, you voted to support a convicted felon, a racist, homophobic, misogynistic, pathetic excuse for a human being who has no regard for basic human rights and our democracy." Keelan said she found the characterization offensive and asked whether the president would issue a formal apology to district parents. The transcript records no public response from the board president during the meeting.
Residents also raised school safety and security questions. A resident identifying herself as Lesleja said she researched Act 67 options and described three security approaches: unarmed guards, armed security (which she said falls under "Act 235" and includes a 40‑hour program), and resource officers. She said she was "very opposed" to armed guards with limited training but noted resource officers—typically retired officers hired part time—can detain and write citations under Act 91, and that those officers typically earn higher hourly rates ($40–$45 per hour, she said). The board chair briefly clarified that a resource officer requirement would apply to the district rather than each building.
Paula Tomlinson thanked the board for approving the playground work and asked what surfacing would be used around play equipment; a meeting participant answered that turf will cover the grass areas and existing foam surfacing around playsets will remain.
No formal board action on the social‑media post or security policy was recorded at the meeting. Public comments were time‑limited to three minutes as part of the board’s procedure, and the meeting proceeded to committee and delegate reports.
