Recall effort underway for Onalaska School Board member Jake Speed

The website says they need 2,000 signatures within 60 days

An effort is being made to recall Onalaska School Board member Jake Speed. 

It is unknown who is behind the effort, but the group has a website, www.recalljakespeed.com, as well as a Facebook page.

The movement comes less than a month after the board decided to officially censure Speed for conduct unbecoming of a school board member.

It offered at least five reasons for the censure, including interrupting board members in meetings, verbally abusing staff, and not coming to committee meetings.

Speed has had several public confrontations with Board President Ann Garrity as well as Superintendent Fran Finco, at one time saying they had been sending him malicious attachments with district e-mails, though he later retracted those comments. 

He also filed a complaint with the local district attorney about open meetings violations.

Speed’s election also was not without controversy. He petitioned to have Garrity and Tim Smaby thrown off the ballot because of nomination paper errors. He succeeded, being the only name on the ballot. 

Smaby later was appointed to the board last July following the resignation of Alana Havenstrite. 

He was recently re-elected as the top vote getter, meaning he’ll serve another three year term.