A couple of weeks ago, we reported that the war waged by the Jeffco teachers union against school district staff, particularly those in the communications office, was the most vitriolic in history.  We couldn’t figure out why the union would be such abusive bullies to staff members – not even elected officials.  And, now, the reason is clear.  Documents recently uncovered show that the teachers union and other school staff were using the Jeffco Schools communications department as a de facto campaign headquarters – and had been since at least 2003 (see last picture of memo).

With a contentious election coming up, the union desperately needs the communications department to help shape and promulgate its messaging as it did in 2012. The communications shop, for the first time in history, is filled with folks who haven’t sworn allegiance to the crumbling union.  The union needs this asset back under its control.

Below are emails from the department in 2012 when the communications department used school resources to rally the troops to pass a mill levy (read: property tax increase) to benefit…the school district.  If this isn’t illegal, it certainly isn’t ethical or right.  Jeffco taxpayers should be up in arms.

Read the emails for yourself, PeakNation™.  It’s worth noting that the school district pulled some of the propaganda it put out in order to comply with campaign regulations, which shows that even they knew it was wrong.  Nonetheless, next time you see the union and PTA beating up on staff in Jeffco, remember how important this asset is to them when they are campaigning.

As we noted before, Melissa Reeves was an employee in the Jeffco Schools communications office as was Veronica Bennett.  Lynn Setzer, cc’d in the emails below, was the head of the communications office.  One has to assume that this illegal campaigning went on with her blessing, which shows how corrupt the communications office was under her leadership.

Jeffco emails page one

Jeffco emails page two

 

Jeffco emails page threejpg

Jeffco emails page four

 

What’s interesting about the document below is that the Jeffco employees sent all of these pro-mill levy documents and articles out to staff and encouraged staff to campaign on behalf of the mill levy to their friends and neighbors.  The email below shows the original email send to employees as well as the version redacted for violating the fair campaign practices act. The second story, which also went out to all Jeffco staff, features current board member Lesley Dahlkemper in a piece that also was taken down due to potential campaign finance violations.

Jeffco emails page five

Dahlkemper Campaign Fair Practices

As promised, we included documents to show that 2012 was not a fluke, but that campaigning out of the Jeffco Schools communications office is a regular occurrence.  Below is a memo from 2003 that shows Jeffco communication staff (and, hilariously, someone named Rick Roll) participating in meetings and using school resources to push a tax increase on taxpayers.

Jeffco memo 2003

 

Again, just remember this when the union starts complaining about staff in Jeffco school district.  It’s because the union needs to take back the communications shop.