Brown, Shannon Survive Recall Election By the Skin of Their Teeth

By: Aidan Arthur

For those of us who don’t normally keep an eye on local politics, the recall election for school board members Dave Brown and Brian Shannon has twisted our necks and forced us to stare at its uncomfortable underbelly.

Through national news coverage, widespread protests, and energetic online debate, this election has split the community apart. And now, with a 52-48 split, it appears to be over. The pair will remain on the board, keeping intact the majority who voted to instate the ironically controversial ban on controversial items.

One argument from those in favor of the recall has been a lack of community support behind Brown and Shannon. The key factor of the recall —a ban on “political or quasi-political” items in schools — was not a community choice, and therefore it is claimed they acted without corresponding with their constituents. This ban was designed to replace the previous ban on Black Lives Matter and Pride flags.

A 52% majority isn’t exactly resounding, but this election showed a much higher turnout, and therefore more support than in the initial election. The reasons behind this aren’t immediately obvious, but it seems that the anti-recall movement raised the stakes to their voters almost as much as the recall side.

One example of this could be seen in the lawn signs that read “Education not Indoctrination.” Rather than focus on the core of the issue—whether the policy is legal, as well as other issues surrounding the actions of the board in the past months—anti-recall rhetoric has framed the election as a proxy for the policy itself.

The same can be said of those in favor of the recall, who have focused on the recall as a means to repeal the policy. There are other channels by which it can still be taken down, such as the ACLU’s ongoing lawsuit against the board. But with over a year left in the terms of the two board members, it would be reasonable for opponents to want to prevent further legislation of this character.

The extent to which this election touched a nerve in the community can be seen in the turnout of voters. The initial election that gave Brown and Shannon their posts drew just under 19% of eligible voters, while the recall brought 58% to the polls.

It can also be seen in the center of modern public discourse: Facebook groups. One in particular, titled “Newberg-Dundee Citizens Group,” with 4,200 members, has been a place for community members to discuss, bicker, and trade insults around the election, with some posts receiving over a hundred comments.

This story is part of a broader national trend in which school boards are becoming focal points of community divisions. Though the political-item-ban policy’s substance is unique —outside the norm of COVID and curricula—the intensifying interest in the board’s actions is anything but.