Can Sarasota School Board candidate Ken Marsh be ‘Trusted’?

Ken Marsh is a life long public school bureaucrat who has worked for two school districts, most recently for 25 years in Sarasota County. The corner stone of his campaign is the slogan “Trusted Education Leader”. But can Ken Marsh be trusted?

Dictionary.com defines trusted as “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.”

What if a person repeatedly violates school board policy during their campaign? Can you trust such a person?

Let’s look at the facts. Sarasota School District policy 9.40 — Advertising in Schools states:

School facilities shall not be used for advertising or otherwise promoting the interests of any commercial, political, or other non-school agency; or individual organization; nor shall School Board employees or students be employed in such a manner.

Here is what we know about Ken Marsh, those supporting him and his campaign:

1. Ken Marsh’s Campaign Facebook page shows a photo (upper right) of Marsh sitting on the steps of the Booker Middle School Amphitheater, in violation of SB Policy 9.40.
2. A Ken Marsh for School Board campaign flyer (below) uses images of five public schools, also in violation of SB Policy 9.40
3. A Ken Marsh for School Board absentee ballot mailer uses an image of the Marsh photo on school board property in violation of SB Policy 9.40
4. Ken Marsh and his campaign have benefited from individual’s using the district email system for political purposes in violation of the Sarasota County Schools Information Technology Guidelines and Procedures.
5. Ken Marsh and his campaign have benefited from individuals using the district email system to endorse him for school board.
6. Ken Marsh and his campaign have benefited from the District Director of Communications Gary Leatherman receiving, reviewing, editing and returning a Ken Marsh campaign flyer, for which Leatherman was reprimanded by the District Superintendent Lori White.
7. Ken Marsh and his campaign have benefited from School Board member Shirley Brown’s email inviting Austin Jambor, a financial adviser at Morgan Stanley, to a Ken Marsh “reception” she is hosting “on Oct 1 in Prestancia” using the district email system.
8. Ms. Brown notified the Ken Marsh campaign of a homosexual marriage event hosted by Equality Florida. Brown suggests that Ken Marsh and others from his campaign attend the event.

Is this the kind of behavior that demonstrates Marsh is a man of “integrity”, a man who can be trusted?

To date Ken Marsh has not denounced any of these violations of school board policy. To our knowledge Marsh has not asked any of his supporters or campaign staff to stop violating school board policies.  Marsh should know that each of the above is a violation of multiple School Board policies. He was a director in the school district and, as he points out in his website, is a bureaucrat with “35 years of public education experience.”

Would a man of integrity stay silent? Can you trust a man who sees wrongdoing and takes no action?

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Perhaps Mr. Marsh does not believe in his own campaign’s rhetoric?

Ken Marsh is asking people to call him directly at 941.586.9526. If you would like to call Mr. Marsh perhaps you can ask: Ken, are you aware that your campaign is violating Chapter 9.40 of School Board policy by using images of schools in your political mailers?

KEN MARSH FLYER:

KEN MARSH ABSENTEE BALLOT MAILER