Oak Park and River Forest School Board candidates challenged

Three of the six candidates running for the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 School Board have had their nominating papers challenged in an attempt to knock them off the April 1 ballot. Two of the objectors are fellow candidates.

Candidate Josh Gertz objected to the nominating papers of Tania Haigh, alleging Haigh did not file the required statement of candidacy. Candidate Nate Mellman has objected to the nominating papers of incumbent Audrey Williams-Lee, the only Black member of the School Board and the only Black candidate in the race, claiming Williams-Lee’s nominating petitions doesn’t state whether she is running for a full term or to fill a vacancy and refers to the 7th District, presumably the 7th Congressional District, instead of OPRF District 200.

And three people, including the chairperson and founder of the Committee for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel, are trying to throw Mellman off the ballot. They claim Mellman did not file the required receipt of statement of economic interest and also allege he would have a conflict of interest as a School Board member because he filed complaints with the State Board of Education and the Illinois Attorney General’s office accusing OPRF and three teachers of antisemitism.

The objectors to Mellman’s candidacy — CJPIP founder and chair Carren Van Slyke, Dean Christ, and Oak Park attorney James Poznak — filed identical objections. They argue that, because of his complaints and prior statements, Mellman has a conflict of interest and cannot represent the entire OPRF community. They further allege that if Mellman were to be elected he would be in breach of the Illinois Association of School Board’s Code of Conduct. The IASB is not part of the government.

“By filing complaints with the Illinois Attorney General and the Illinois State Board of Education, Mellman has tried to get teachers’ licenses to be stripped,” the objectors wrote in their objections. “Mellman also attended at least one meeting of the D200 School Board at which he called for D200 to remove the two faculty sponsors of the school’s Middle Eastern and North African student club. This action in particular raises serious concerns about Mellman’s understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of fairness, due process, and the educational environment that the Board aims to uphold.”

Van Slyke said she felt compelled by Mellman’s actions to act.

“This is not something that I do lightly, but I felt as a community member, especially as a Jewish community member I really want to speak out,” Van Slyke said. “Actual antisemitism has to be fought and when I began to see some of the steps he was taking, this was not right. It was a conflict of interest and he’s really abusing his role as a community member by getting involved in school affairs.”

Mellman said he did indeed file his statement of economic interest on the same day that he filed his nominating petitions. And he questioned the motivation of those trying to knock him off the ballot, alleging all three are members of the Committee for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel and asking why they are “injecting themselves into a local school board race.”

Christ and Poznak said they are not members of that group, but they lent their names to an opinion piece Van Slyke wrote for a local paper in May calling for the Oak Park Village Board to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Mellman invoked the example of former President Barack Obama when asked why he challenged Williams-Lee’s nominating papers for what amounts to clerical errors, noting that in his first race for public office Obama knocked his opponent off the ballot.

“These are the rules and you have to follow them,” Mellman said.

Williams-Lee said she was disappointed her filing papers were challenged.

“I was surprised and disappointed,” Williams-Lee said in an email. “I applaud anyone who chooses to run for an office and is willing to put forth the time and effort to help voters in our community understand the value they would bring. I look forward to getting past this challenge and fairly competing as a candidate.”

Williams-Lee has hired attorney Michael Kreloff to represent her at a hearing on the challenge.

The three person Cook County Electoral Board will ultimately rule whether Mellman, Williams-Lee and Haigh remain on the ballot, likely next week.

At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, hearing officer Christopher Cohen ruled to recommend to the board to strike down the challenge and that Williams-Lee should remain on the ballot. Cohen also recommended that Haigh be removed from the ballot because she did not file the required statement of candidacy form. Cohen also found the conflict of interest against Mellman to be irrelevant under the Election Code and said he would recommend Mellman stay on the ballot.

Four seats on the OPRF school board are up for election at the April 1 election. Three candidates, Fred Arkin, Kathleen Odell and Gertz, were not challenged.

Gertz, who is running aligned with Mellman, said he objected to Haigh’s filings because he is a stickler for the rules.

“We have election rules for a reason,” Gertz said. “There’s a procedure to this. I happen to be an attorney so I tend to be a bit of a stickler to follow the rules. It’s nothing personal. I actually met with Ms. Haigh and I respect her and I respect her views but at the end of the day attention to detail does matter. It’s a position that would require a great amount of attention to detail and it would also increase, you know, the likelihood that I might be successful in obtaining a seat on the School Board.”

Gertz and Mellman met with Haigh before filing the objection and Gertz told her he would file an objection.

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“I would like it if she would not view me perhaps as an enemy and still weigh in on School Board matters especially those related to student safety which is one of her principal issues,” Gertz said.

Bob Skolnik is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.