***UPDATE 11:30 AM 12/17/2020***
We received the following screenshots from a parent, which were posted in a group on Facebook dedicated to parents of students in the MPSD. Our researcher is not a part of that group, therefore we were not able to see them.
One comment reads as, “Definitely take photos!! We need to get Holzman and many of the school board members out!! They are doing nothing for our kids education. Only looking out for the teachers and their supposable scaredness.”
Another comments, “I’ve heard rumors of teachers that don’t want to return to school being seen at local taverns… …we need to start publicizing all of their hypocrisy. Shine the spotlight on the hypocrites to help put the pressure on.”
***Original Story***
Yesterday we reported that there is a protest planned for this weekend, where a group of parents is demanding the Manitowoc Public School District reopen schools to full in-person learning.
We spoke with MPSD Superintendent Mark Holzman who claimed, “On social media, that group that is likely protesting, has really spread misinformation rumors, and encouraged people to do things that would harass Board Members. We have volunteer Board Members, whom they are encouraging people to take pictures of and try to find them doing something in our community, and post misinformation. It’s concerning.”
We asked Holzman if it was an actual Facebook group, or if it was individuals posting on their own accounts, and he said, “I don’t know for a fact, I just know that people in our community who are supporters of the school have shared with different people comments and screenshots of things that were being said.”
A preliminary search on Facebook did bring up two posts, both of which can be seen below.
One of which pointed to the fact that Holzman lives in Sheboygan County, and that his children and neighbors’ children are all attending school in person. Another posted the email addresses and phone numbers for Board Members and asked people to contact them on a regular basis saying they want their children back in school. All the information that was posted by this individual is posted on the MPSD website, along with a statement which reads, “Citizens may contact any or all Board members but should be aware that members have no authority as individuals, only as they meet together as a Board.”
We did not find any comments that state what Holzman described.
We also asked the individual who told us about the upcoming protest if she knew of any of these kinds of comments, to which she said “Absolutely not.” She said that people are simply voicing their concerns in a legal way.
She ended by saying “Of course Holzman is going to say that. Sorry he’s buffaloing you as he is doing to everyone else.”
We blacked out the names of the posters and the city in which Holzman lives out of respect to the individuals.
