Onalaska school board meeting gets awkward with arguments

Heated arguments occur between
new member Speed and others

The first Onalaska school board meeting following the April election came and went without any issues.

This week, not so much. 

In an emotional debate over the collective-bargaining agreement with the district’s teachers, new board member Jake Speed and Alana Havenstrite argued back and forth, causing president Ann Garrity to intervene.

“Jake, I would ask that you be respectful of other board members,” Garrity said.

“She’s been disrespectful to me,” Speed argued.

“Please. Are you able to do that?” Garrity then asked.

“Yes,” Speed said. “Tell her to do the same.”

“Could you please, let her finish?” Garrity then asked.

“Tell her to do the same,” Speed said.

Speed later added that Garrity wasn’t treating him fairly, and that it was payback for him challenging Garrity’s nomination papers during those elections.

Garrity had mistakes on her papers, causing her name to be left off April’s ballot. She narrowly beat one other former board member in a write-in campaign, who had also made mistakes in nominatoin papers. Both were running write-in campaigns.

The argument between Speed and Havenstrite was heated, and a bit odd.

“You treat me like I don’t …” Speed said.

“We’re finished,” Havenstrite interrupted.

“OK, you’re finished,” Speed said.

“We haven’t had a conversation …” Havenstrite fired back.

“You treat me like I know nothing and I don’t do my homework. And you’ve disrespected me continuously. And you know what? “Let’s bring up the emails you send me, demanding that I participate in walking quorums, which is against the law,” Speed said. “So, it’s time you knocked that off.”