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Lake County Gazette

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Parents furious with D117 school official address board over meme calling conservatives ‘trash’

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Republican Committeeman Michael J. Scornavacco (left) has blamed Gov. J.B. Pritzker (right) and other Democrats for engaging rhetoric fueling leftist political violence. | Michael J. Scornavacco; Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore

Republican Committeeman Michael J. Scornavacco (left) has blamed Gov. J.B. Pritzker (right) and other Democrats for engaging rhetoric fueling leftist political violence. | Michael J. Scornavacco; Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore

A charged atmosphere filled Lakes Community High School on the night of Thursday, Oct. 16 where more than 30 parents and community members attended a District 117 board meeting to demand that board member Sue Dickson be formally censured and resign over a controversial social media post that labeled white conservative families as “trash.” 

Community High School District 117 operates two comprehensive high schools, Lakes Community High School and Antioch Community High School, serving approximately 2,600 students in total.

The meeting followed weeks of backlash over Dickson re-posting a meme on leftist social media platform BlueSky from the “Keep NYC Trash Free” campaign, which critics say compared conservatives—which make up about half of the community—to literal garbage.

Local Republican leader Michael Scornavacco first drew public attention to the post in a Lake County Gazette op-ed, accusing Dickson of showing contempt toward the very families she was elected to represent. 

“This is not about partisan politics,” Scornavacco, who serves as Republican Committeeman for Antioch's 6th Precinct, wrote. “It is about decency. It is about holding leaders accountable when they fail to live up to the standards of respect and fairness that every parent has a right to expect.” 

During public comment, many speakers tore into Dickson’s actions. 

John Muellner described the post’s symbolism bluntly. 

“The implication of this post is pretty clear,” Muellner said. “If you have traditional, conservative or Christian values, like many people in this room, including myself and many people in the community at large, then you're unworthy of respect and much like literal trash, you should be discarded.” 

Muellner went on to warn of what he sees as a disturbing double standard, cautioning the board not to ignore what he considers a clear case of hypocrisy. He argued that similar conduct targeting other communities would have provoked immediate condemnation.

“If the alternative were to happen,” he said. “If a board member posted a crude stereotype of somebody who was maybe black or gay or Jewish or any other group depicting them as trash, the outcry would be swift and justified, and immediate action would likely be taken. Hate is unacceptable, regardless of who it targets, and this double standard undermines public trust. It's not about politics, but it's about professionalism and fitness for office.” 

Muellner added that the issue was not about politics but about the standards expected of public officials, particularly those entrusted with the education and well-being of children.

He emphasized that school board members set the tone for the entire district. Their behavior, he said, directly impacts the community’s trust in the system.

“School board members must model civility and fairness, especially for the children, who look to you for examples of respectful discourse,” he said. “I urge the board to take decisive action, including publicly declaring misconduct unacceptable and inconsistent with the district values and Illinois School Code. Consider a formal censure of Ms. Dixon to reaffirm impartial governance and strengthen policies on board member conduct and social media use to preserve public confidence. Our community deserves better leadership, leadership that makes decision free from bias, ensuring every citizen, regardless of viewpoint, can approach the board with trust and fairness.” 

John Muellner (Michael Scornavacco)

Following Muellner’s remarks, Scornavacco stepped up to the podium, this time not only as a political figure, but as a concerned father.

The attack, he said, struck at the heart of his identity and values.

“I’ve had three children go through this high school,” he said. “One has graduated, two currently attend. I am very concerned. I’m concerned because a board member here thinks I’m trash. So if I’m trash, my friends are trash, which also makes my children trash. That’s not okay. It’s not fair.” 

He said the message conveyed in the image wasn’t abstract. It felt targeted. And in a town like Antioch, he argued, it’s a message that carried weight.

“The rhetoric that was posted—if you change the color on the faces, the races—there would be uproar throughout the district,” Scornavacco said. “But because it’s white conservatives, it’s okay. Even though we make up the majority of the school district. Antioch is one of the most conservative towns in the state of Illinois. I worry for my children here. It’s—it’s terrifying. It’s demonic...demonic....what was posted. It’s evil.”

Republican Committeeman Michael J. Scornavacco (Michael Scornavacco)

Aron Petty delved into the bounds of free speech versus public responsibility.

He acknowledged that everyone has the right to express their views, but stressed that elected officials must meet a higher standard. 

“You have the right to say what you want to say,” Petty said. “However, there are consequences to your speech. It was inflammatory, divisive, and unacceptable for someone in a position of leadership within the school system, especially those who have influence over our children and the hiring decisions of those who manage and watch over our children on a day-to-day basis.” 

Petty argued that speech from those in power carries greater consequences.

“Parents and families place great trust in school leadership, administration, and teachers to model professionalism, respect, and inclusivity,” he said. “Publicly sharing rhetoric of this nature undermines that trust and calls into question the very judgment of those within the community as well as those within the school body.”

Petty reminded the board that their primary responsibility is to students’ academic success. 

In his view, the current controversy spawned by Dickson’s actions distracts from the work that really matters.

“We understand that we have not met pre-COVID level test scores,” Petty said. “That should be the primary focus of this school board. That’s what I would like to see focused on and shared in social media, not personal opinions or matters that attack our community members.”

Alex Kanter, a 26-year-old former Antioch student and GOP precinct committeeman, spoke from personal experience. He said the tone and behavior of school officials in recent years had deeply affected him. 

“Hearing the comments of school board members and of most of some of the community over the last six, seven years that I've lived in the town of Antioch has really been disgusting, disheartening, and honestly not making me want to have any of my future kids or any of my friends want to attend any of these schools because of these school board members who think they can say whatever they want just because they have a differing opinion,” Kanter said. 

Drawing from his own experiences, Kanter expressed both his frustration with the local school environment and his determination to encourage others to speak out.

“Donald Trump spoke up for people like me, my family, and my friends,” Kanter said. “The silent majority, the people who are patriotic Americans.” 

Kanter said he hoped to inspire current students by speaking out on the issue. He acknowledged that speaking publicly can be risky, but insisted that courage and solidarity make it worthwhile.

“I'm going up here speaking for one of my very few times at only 26 years old, showing anyone, any of the students here to not be afraid to speak up,” he said. “Sure, you may get some hate, may get a plagiarism accusation. You may get some hate from your teachers, may get some grade deductions. It doesn't matter. Stand up, speak your voice, you can't trust anybody else, and you will find friends that are just like you. They will stand by your side through thick and thin, no matter what, and I'm glad to find people that sing that have that same opinion or respect my opinion enough, even though we are different.”

Meanwhile, Dickson has not publicly addressed the controversy. 

She quietly deleted her Bluesky social media account shortly after the uproar began, offering no explanation or apology. 

Despite requests from community members, as of now, District 117 has not issued an official statement or determined whether Dickson’s actions violate board policy. Critics attending say they will continue pushing for accountability in the days ahead. Still, not everyone in attendance was critical.Kasia Kondracki, a Waukegan resident and chair of Indivisible Western Lake County, clashed with local conservatives during a recent public meeting. 

Using her allotted three minutes to speak, Kondracki criticized grassroots conservative attendees foucing her vitriol on Scornavacco, calling him “Mikey,” and seeking to redirect the tone of the discussion.

“Mikey, Mikey, Mikey posted a post that said, ‘no kings, protest 1018, our words only, normal people stay home, please,’” she said. “That is inappropriate language.” 

Kondracki, a Waukegan resident who is known for her role as Chairman of Indivisible Western Lake County, traded babs with Scornavacco as she spoke. 

She also threatened to have a car towed belonging to a disabled attendee for parking in a handicapped spot. 

Indivisible was previously involved in 2020’s BLM riots, which resulted in 15 deaths, over 284 injured officers and property damage exceeding $66 million in Chicago alone.

Another speaker, Lake Villa resident Randy Harniker emphasized that his support was not for the content of Dickson’s posts, but for her constitutional right to express them. 

“I'm not here to defend what was said. I'm here to defend the right to say it,” Harniker said. 

Notably, Harniker helped organize and lead a leftist Labor Day demonstration protesting President Trump. 

Parents and community members pack the Oct. 16 District 117 board meeting, many calling for the resignation of board member Sue Dickson over a social media post labeling white conservative families as “trash.” Tensions ran high as speakers accused Dickson of bias and demanded accountability. (Michael  Scornavacco)

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