In 2015, the Lakota Local School District created the LODI – Lakota Outreach, Diversity & Inclusion. See board member Kelley Casper give a brief background on the department.
January 2021
Elgin Card, then Senior Director of LODI gave a board presentation on the department. During this presentation, board member Lynda O’Connor pointed out that she had many “frank” conversations with Mr. Card about a variety of diversity efforts that have come and gone in the Lakota School District.
Lynda also briefly notes that she does not WANT to be a “wet blanket” on the diversity department, but cautions the department to stay focused on student achievement.
Fall 2021
Lynda works with fringe tea party members as the only “conservative” on the board to try and and get some people who agree with her elected. Here’s one of those fringe tea party members, Rich Hoffman discussing it.
March 2022
The first diversity committee occurs after the new board has been elected, now with Darbi Boddy and Isaac Adi as members, in which they both attempt to attack LODI.
July 2022
Isaac Adi speaks with incredulity that the LODI Department even exists in Lakota at a West Chester Tea Party meeting. He vows that “they are working on it.” There were many other things that were discussed and some cut parts of this video, so it’s hard to say what ELSE was said about LODI, if anything.
October 2022
The department was under attack again during the next quarterly diversity committee meeting. Superintendent Matt Miller explains how the LODI department mirrors what is seen at companies that will eventually employ Lakota students. Darbi Boddy complains that diversity departments even exist and that DEI programs are “taking over nationally.”
Mr. Card then expresses disdain for people who are in the education sector who aren’t there for the kids. He seems to be referring to Mrs. Boddy, but it goes right over her head.
April 2023
Elgin Card is announced as the new superintendent of Princeton City Schools.
May 2023
Mrs. Boddy, who has repeatedly called for the district to more thoroughly investigate why certain staff and teachers are leaving, calls the two African American members of the department lazy, repeatedly uses the wrong name for them and specifically questions social media posts by one member, conflating “Culturally Responsive Teaching” cohort with “Critical Race Theory”.
June 2023
After pulling petitions to run for the school board in 2023, Vic Santiago announced that he would no longer run because the GOP would only offer him support if he promised to “get rid of DEI”.
During a board meeting, Darbi Boddy calls out the two existing personnel in the LODI department by name and says she wants their positions eliminated.
The LODI director role has been eliminated, and the rest of the employees in the department are moved to work in the “student services” department, even though the remaining personnel mainly service students by working with other staff and outside community members. Does the LODI department exist at this point?
July 2023
Darbi Boddy creates a motion for the school district to disassociate itself from any DEI initiatives or hire a law firm to ask if they should, although she struggles to understand how to properly execute the motion per Robert’s Rules of Order.
Her reasoning is a flawed understanding of a recent supreme court ruling. When fellow board member Kelley Casper tries to point out the flaw in her understanding, she is told her actions are “racist.”
Dr. Lolli is chosen to fill the role of interim superintendent.
August 2023
One of two remaining personnel working on DEI efforts is reassigned to be a classroom teacher just a few days before school begins.
Dr. Lolli sends a letter addressing “social media rumors” that seems to confirm most of the rumors about the recent staffing change.
