One of the eight candidates running for the Rich Township High School District 227 board, Komaa Mnyofu, is a felon who would be ineligible to serve if elected, but none of the other candidates criticized Mnyofu for that during a candidate forum on Thursday.
Mnyofu, who has won $340,000 in settlements of lawsuits he filed against District 227, also did not mention his 1999 conviction for abducting his son for two weeks, which was revealed in a Daily Southtown story this month. He was convicted under a prior name, Tyler Jones, court records show.
Under Illinois law, a felon cannot serve in an elected office. If Mnyofu were to be elected, it could lead to a court challenge of his right to sit on the school board.
During Thursday’s forum at Richton Park Village Hall, Mnyofu caused a bit of a stir when he declined to state his background and qualifications during an initial two-minute segment, as the other candidates did. Instead, he used the time to introduce his son, whom he said is recovering from injuries while serving in Iraq, and launched into an attack on the school board and educational quality in the district.
Mnyofu’s off-topic response prompted moderator Patrick Napue, to ask him to provide the personal information, but Mnyofu refused.
However, he later said he is a paralegal during remarks that were particularly critical of school board President Cheryl Coleman, who is running for re-election. Mnyofu linked Coleman to District 227″s controversial acquisition of an administration building “that we didn’t want and we didn’t ask for.”
Coleman recently said Mnyofu should withdraw from the school board race because of his conviction, but she left the issue alone Thursday. She did recall Thursday testifying in Mnyofu’s favor during a lawsuit against the district, saying that exemplified her honesty.
Attempting to distance herself from District 227’s perceived problems with low academic performance and high bills for various legal fights, Coleman took the offensive Thursday against fellow incumbents Emmanuel Imoukhuede and Shelia Friday. She claimed credit for a laundry list of supposed improvements within the district, accusing Imoukhuede and Friday of being obstacles to progress.
Friday did not respond to the accusation, but Imoukhuede said Coleman was wrongly trying to take credit when she had largely exceeded her authority and interfered with the district administration.
District 227operates three high schools — Rich Central in Olympia Fields, Rich East in Park Forest and Rich South in Richton Park,
Dennis Sullivan is a freelance reporter.
More Top Picks Lawn Mowers