“Hey Dan Tyrrell, you’d have to agree that the best way yo [sic] get to Sacramento is by having a couple hundred school districts in our state, stand up and say NO to this Insanity of having experimental, virtually untested dangerous serum, shot into all of our children.

“That’s the way that we can make a change in Sacramento. So much better than having 1000 people standing outside the capital [sic] building being ignored.”

This was written by south Lake County businessman, associate pastor at Jesus Christ Fellowship and Middletown Unified School District candidate Hank Lescher.

Hank Lescher has repeatedly regurgitated unsupported statistics, has written and shared anti-LGBTQIA viewpoints and embraces QAnon conspiracy theories.

Ironically, Hank advertises himself as the “family values” candidate. While I am sure there are some people who agree with Hank in using our kids as political pawns in their disagreements with Sacramento, I am not one of them.

I have felt that turning our schools into battlegrounds was the goal for people like Hank. I am not surprised that he thinks it, but I am surprised that he came out and yelled it from the mountain top.

Hank’s position is dangerous for our schools. I know that probably sounds like hyperbole, but if you think about it, what happens if the school district takes his approach? Will the state take over the school district? Will the parents who have children that are adversely affected by his irresponsibility file legal action against the school district? How will these actions impact our district’s budget and its ability to attract and retain quality educators? What happens to our property values when the school district is taken over by the state or loses teachers because the budget is impacted by lawsuits?

I understand that this is an important issue to a lot of people. If you feel strongly about it, go about it the right way. Write your assemblyperson, write your senator, write the paper, picket in Sacramento, vote, yell at Newsom, run for those offices in which you can make those changes.

Our schools are not battlegrounds. Our kids are not weapons. Please don’t use them as such.

Dan Tyrrell lives in Middletown, California.