Decision Follows November Appeal Hearing
CAMERON, Mo. — The Cameron R-1 Board of Education voted to terminate middle school teacher Rachel Barlow during a closed session meeting on November 26, following her appeal hearing held November 13.
During the public appeal hearing, two primary issues emerged from sworn testimony: Barlow’s admission that she used the phrase “anal beads” in conversation with a high school student, and what district administrators characterized as her refusal to comply with an administrative directive to write a statement about the incident. However, the board’s actual reasoning for the termination decision remains unknown, as their deliberations and vote occurred in closed session as required by law for personnel matters.
A Question of Credibility
While we cannot know what the board discussed in closed session, the competing accounts presented at the public hearing suggest they faced a fundamental credibility determination: who to believe when the principal’s testimony conflicted with Barlow’s.
The principal testified that Barlow began writing a statement but crumpled up the paper and refused to complete it. Barlow testified that she requested the opportunity to speak with her union representative before making a statement, but was not allowed to do so. The principal said he does not recall such a request.
What makes the board’s apparent decision to credit the administrators over Barlow particularly noteworthy is testimony from Superintendent Matt Robinson, who stated under oath that Barlow had never been a disciplinary issue prior to this incident. If Barlow had a clean disciplinary record and no history of insubordination, why did the board apparently find the principal’s account more credible than hers?
What Wasn’t Considered
During the appeal hearing, the majority of Barlow’s defense focused on alleged policy violations by other district staff members who retained their positions—violations that testimony suggested were far more serious, frequent, and even sexually explicit than Barlow’s single comment about “anal beads.”
However, testimony was carefully controlled under Missouri Sunshine Law requirements to protect employee privacy. Witnesses were not permitted to name other employees or students involved in these comparative examples, making it difficult to establish the full pattern of disparate treatment.
Because the board’s deliberations and vote occurred in closed session as required by law, it remains unclear what weight, if any, these examples of allegedly worse conduct carried in the final decision. The outcome suggests the board either did not find these comparisons credible, or determined that staff retention for more serious violations should not prevent termination in Barlow’s case.
Potential Legal Response
The termination of a tenured teacher who, according to her testimony, requested to speak with a union representative before making a statement about conduct that could lead to discipline could create legal exposure for the district on several fronts:
Union Representation Rights: If Barlow can demonstrate she requested union representation before being questioned about conduct that could lead to discipline, and that request was denied, this could potentially violate her rights under Missouri’s public sector collective bargaining laws. While Missouri teachers have constitutional rights to collective bargaining under the Missouri Constitution (Article I, Section 29) as confirmed by the Missouri Supreme Court in Independence NEA vs. Independence School District (2007), the specific question of whether principles similar to Weingarten rights—which guarantee union representation during investigatory interviews in the private sector—apply to Missouri public school employees remains legally uncertain. Nevertheless, denial of a union member’s request for representation during a disciplinary investigation could form the basis of a legal challenge.
Disparate Treatment: If Barlow can establish that other employees who violated policies or directives were treated more leniently, she may have grounds for a discrimination or disparate treatment claim.
Due Process: Depending on the specific circumstances and her tenure status, questions could arise about whether she received adequate due process before termination.
Whether Barlow will pursue such action remains to be seen.
A Crisis of Confidence
This termination decision exemplifies a troubling pattern in Cameron R-1 Board of Education decision-making over the past few years—a pattern that has created a genuine crisis of confidence in the board’s judgment.
The board faced a credibility dispute with no objective evidence: the principal says Barlow never asked for union representation; Barlow says she did. There is no proof either way. In such circumstances, why didn’t the board choose the safer option that would avoid risking a lawsuit for wrongful termination—reinstating Barlow with a strong reprimand on her employee record?
The middle ground would have:
- Held Barlow accountable for her inappropriate comment
- Avoided the appearance of disparate treatment when other staff allegedly committed worse violations
- Protected taxpayers from potential expensive legal battles
- Demonstrated prudent governance
Instead, the board chose the path of maximum risk. They chose to credit the administrators’ account despite Barlow’s clean disciplinary record and the superintendent’s testimony about her unblemished history. They chose termination despite testimony about staff retention for allegedly more serious conduct.
And critically: the board won’t be using their personal money to defend this decision if Barlow sues. They will be using taxpayer money.
This is the fundamental problem with the current board’s pattern of decision-making. When faced with difficult choices that could expose the district to legal liability, they consistently choose the aggressive path rather than the prudent one. The community is left to wonder: are these decisions truly in “the best interests of our students” as the district’s statement claims, or are they driven by other factors we cannot see from outside the closed session doors?
Taxpayers deserve a board that weighs legal risks carefully and chooses paths that protect both students and the public treasury. Instead, we have a board whose pattern of controversial decisions over the past few years has created widespread concern about their judgment and priorities.
The Barlow termination is not an isolated incident—it’s the latest example of a board that appears unwilling or unable to take the cautious, fiscally responsible approach when faced with credibility disputes and potential legal exposure.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on public testimony from the November 13 appeal hearing. The board’s deliberations on November 26 were conducted in closed session as required by Missouri law for personnel matters.
A few-second Facebook reel video has now been viewed over 936,000 times. In it, Cameron resident Dan Landi asks a simple question at his own appeal hearing—a hearing where the school board was deciding whether to ban him from attending public meetings. He’d heard that public comments had been disabled on the live stream. Board member Pam Ice, leading the hearing that night, clearly heard him. She chose not to answer. Instead, she simply reconvened the meeting and moved forward as if he’d never spoken.
The video’s reach far exceeds our small following. I believe it resonates because it captures something Americans are tired of: elected officials who forget whom they serve.
For three years, residents have attended Cameron R-1 School Board meetings with legitimate questions about district decisions. Before each meeting, they’ve raised concerns about transparency, accountability, and the district’s compliance with state and federal law. In response, they’ve received silence, deflection, or—in Dan Landi’s case—a ban from future meetings.
This pattern isn’t unique to the school board. It extends to other local governing bodies where officials seem more interested in protecting their authority than serving their constituents. When Dan Miller applied for a city manager position and made it to the final two candidates, the city council chose neither finalist. Instead, they reopened the application process for a second round. The city council hasn’t commented on why both finalists were passed over or what criteria they’re now using. Voters who trusted these officials with this important hiring decision deserve to know how that authority is being exercised.
The problem begins before Election Day. In Cameron, candidates routinely campaign without taking clear positions on controversial issues. They’ll talk about how long they’ve lived in Cameron, their local businesses, their children in district schools. They’ll emphasize their roots in the community while avoiding any discussion of actual issues. What they won’t do is take clear positions on controversial questions or commit to specific governance principles.
Cameron deserves better from those seeking public office. Candidates for school board, city council, and other local positions should participate in public debates before elections. These debates would give voters the opportunity to hear candidates answer the same questions, compare their approaches to governance, and understand their priorities. A candidate forum where competing candidates must articulate and defend their positions would reveal far more about how they’ll govern than any campaign literature or yard sign. Voters could ask directly about controversial decisions facing the district or city and hear substantive responses. This isn’t an unreasonable expectation—it’s a basic standard that communities across the country employ to ensure informed voting.
Voters are left to choose based on familiarity and likability rather than governance philosophy or policy positions. We elect popularity, not principle. We select people based on who they are, not what they’ll do once in office.
This approach has predictable consequences. When we elect people without knowing how they’ll govern, we get officials who govern without consulting the people—or who only consult those who are politically connected or have some form of influence or power. When candidates don’t have to articulate positions during campaigns, elected officials don’t feel obligated to defend decisions once in office. The lack of accountability during elections creates officials who see no need for accountability while serving.
The 936,000 views on that Facebook reel tell us something important: people everywhere recognize what’s happening in Cameron because it’s happening in their communities too. They’ve watched their own questions ignored at school board meetings. They’ve seen their own city councils override voter preferences. They’ve experienced their own officials treating public accountability as an optional courtesy rather than a fundamental obligation of public service.
Voters deserve better. We deserve candidates who will answer questions before election day and after taking office. We deserve officials who justify decisions affecting our children, our tax dollars, and our community’s future. We deserve representatives who remember that “public servant” isn’t just a ceremonial title—it’s a commitment to transparency, responsiveness, and accountability to the people who elected them.
When Dan Landi asked whether public comments had been disabled on his own hearing’s live stream and received only silence before being banned from future meetings, he experienced in concentrated form what Cameron residents face routinely. The real question isn’t why that Facebook reel went viral. It’s why we keep electing people who think ignoring constituents is acceptable governance, and what we’re going to do about it this filing season.
Thursday night’s special school board meeting laid bare the depth of dysfunction in Cameron R-1 School District leadership. Allegations emerged of staff touching students inappropriately and routinely using vulgar, sexually explicit language around children. Even more disturbing: evidence suggests the board and administrators were aware of these problems. When confronted, the district’s attorneys implied a mother and her daughter weren’t genuinely concerned about inappropriate touching because they waited two days to report it. This victim-blaming response exemplifies everything wrong with current leadership.
The recent resignation of Superintendent Dr. Matt Robinson compounds this crisis. However, the problems plaguing our schools extend far beyond one administrator. The school board itself has failed in its duty to provide effective oversight and accountability.
For over three years, I’ve attended board meetings and witnessed a troubling pattern: a board more concerned with controlling public criticism than addressing legitimate concerns. Rather than embracing transparency, board members have worked to silence dissent, banned community members from meetings, and violated both state and federal law, including Missouri’s Sunshine Law and basic constitutional rights.
District officials have systematically retaliated against citizens exercising their First Amendment rights, violated ADA accommodations for disabled veterans, and ignored public records requests while spending taxpayer dollars on legal fees to avoid transparency. This isn’t governance—it’s damage control.
Meanwhile, our children’s education suffers. Cameron R-1 performs marginally above average when it should achieve excellence. Instead of focusing on academic outcomes, the board manages controversies of its own making and treats concerned parents as adversaries.
The board and the community would like me to settle down and take a break from the school district. A new superintendent provides a good opportunity for a reset. But that isn’t quite enough. There needs to be new leadership on the school board too. There are three seats up for election in April. It is now up to the community. Do we have a reset and positive change, or do we continue in this rut with the status quo?
A school board’s primary responsibility is ensuring students receive a quality education in a safe, well-managed environment. That requires accountability, not defensiveness. It requires transparency, not obstruction. It requires leadership that sees public engagement as a strength, not a threat.
The next board election offers Cameron voters a critical choice. We can continue down this path of conflict and mediocrity, or we can elect new leaders committed to full compliance with state and federal law, respect for constitutional rights and public participation, honest financial management, academic excellence, and professional accountability for all district employees.
Our community deserves better. Our children deserve better. Cameron has the potential to be an educational model for rural Missouri, but we’ll never reach that goal with a board that views accountability as optional and transparency as negotiable.
It’s time for new leadership—leadership that understands public service means serving the public, not managing it. The upcoming election is our opportunity to demand the change Cameron schools desperately need.
It was another big week for the Cameron R-1 School District, but not in a good way. During a 4-hour appeal hearing for a Cameron Veterans Middle School teacher who claims she is being wrongfully terminated, we heard a lot of testimony. One of those who testified was of particular interest to us, mother and Cameron High School librarian Tonya O’Boyle. She was rightfully concerned that her son was exposed to sexually explicit and vulgar language while on the high school football team. Watch the video, and then let’s discuss why this is of interest. Content warning, there is graphic descriptive language in this video.
Allegations Made by O’Boyle
Mrs. O’Boyle claims that during an “extra-curricular activity” at school events, she has personally witnessed the use of foul language on school grounds. She says she has been to events where vulgar music was played as part of those school events. Mrs. O’Boyle stated that the vulgar language she overheard was “student choice” and included the “N-word.” Her stated concern for the choice in that music was: “Promoted as a family event. There were toddlers there. There were grandparents there.”
When asked if there were other school-sponsored events where she witnessed foul language being used ,she responded, “Yes.” She confirmed it happened during this current semester. She heard the coach, another school district employee, use those foul words which were directed at her child. When asked what was said, she responded, “You are the fucking reason we are losing this fucking game.”
Why This Testimony is of Interest
This website was started in part because of our fight with the Cameron R-1 School District relating to the extensive collection of vulgar and explicit books found in Mrs. O’Boyle’s high school library. You can find a partial list of those books on our Dirty Book List page.
During O’Boyle’s time as the librarian at the high school, a vast majority of those books were added to her library. According to district policy and public records requests, she added the majority of those books. Just two of the books on that list, The Hate U Give and Juliet Takes a Breath include the F-word 198 times. The book Juliet Takes a Breath is one you can see her receiving in an unboxing video she posted to her personal social media account. It uses that word she didn’t like 100 times.
The Books Get Far Worse Than Just Using Profanity
Many of those books on the Dirty Book List for the Cameron High School include graphic, sexually explicit descriptions. If Mrs. O’Boyle takes issue with her child hearing two vulgar words at football practice and functions, surely she would also be opposed to graphic descriptions of incest and pedophilia. The book Identical, found in her library, includes both pedophilia and incest. Passages from that book were read to the Cameron R-1 School District’s Board of Education at a previous board meeting. Extreme content warning in that video, but HERE is the link.
Why are the Words Wrong but Books Acceptable?
That’s the million dollar question. If vulgar words used in the presence of high school children are immoral and socially taboo, why then are all of these graphic books available for the same high school kids to read? Mrs. O’Boyle, please explain it for me. Why are you willing to hand my children and my neighbors’ children that book which uses the word you don’t like 100 times? You wrote an essay to get that book donated to the school. Now that your child has been exposed to such language, have you changed your opinion on the books in your library? Help me, help all of us, to understand the hypocrisy between your anger at your child being exposed to these words while you hand our children books with far more graphic content.
An Open Letter to the Cameron School Board
On Thursday night, we heard multiple accounts from mothers, a father, and school teachers about how upset they were about the language used by your staff member in his capacity as football coach. They are right – it was wrong and is a violation of policy. Why, then, do you fire one staff member for using inappropriate language while you protect the other? If it is wrong for a staff member to use a single vulgar word around students, especially when that language is directed at a student, how is it acceptable to put books in that same child’s hand that have dozens or hundreds of those profane words? And if a single profane word is not acceptable, how on earth are graphic descriptions of pedophilia and incest acceptable? Let me say the thing you don’t have the courage to say. It isn’t acceptable.
Final Closing Thoughts About Thursday’s Hearing
The district has a serious transparency and accountability issue. This book topic is one of the many glaring, self-imposed black eyes the Cameron School District received on Thursday night. There are serious problems at the district and in the leadership at the central office. There needs to be a full investigation revolving around the accusations made that night. Someone also needs to look into why your administrators couldn’t answer the questions from the respondent’s lawyers. “I do not know” is not an acceptable answer to those questions from top-tier administrators.
Previously we have written about the Cameron R-1 school district and Their Contempt for the Constitution. Despite the criticism, they appear to have doubled down and provided more examples of how they do not respect citizens and their civil rights.
First Amendment Auditors Visited the Cameron R-1 Schools
On the afternoon of Friday, October 10, 2025, two First Amendment auditors documented a visit to the Cameron school district central office. In the video from the Lawrence Accountability YouTube page, shared below, you can watch as Michael (Lawrence Accountability) and Justin (The DReaded Rabble Rouser) state they wanted to make requests for public records. Instead of allowing them access to a public building their tax dollars help fund, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Angie Ormsby and the Custodian of Records Gina Bainum stand in the doorway and block their access to the public building. Dr. Ormsby is heard saying “We’re done” and “I would like for you to leave” after Justin asks to go inside to write out his records request. You can see this interaction around the 9-minute mark.
Allegations of Assault by School Resource Officer Palmer
Shortly after Dr. Ormsby tells School Resource Officer Johnny Palmer she would like for Justin to leave you can watch as Palmer steps to Justin and is just inches away. Palmer moves closer and makes contact with Justin in an effort to force him out of the doorway. That interaction and the chaos begin around the 9-minute and 50 second mark. Be sure to continue to watch as two Cameron Police Department officers and two Missouri Highway Patrol troopers responded to the “disturbance”.
More Details to Follow
So far, only the Lawrence Accountability YouTube channel has posted the lengthy video of this interaction with the Cameron R-1 School district and the local law enforcement. We can clearly see Justin from The DReaded Rabble Rouser channel has a recording device in his hand. We are confident his video will have different conversations not easily heard or seen in this video. If and when that video is made available, we will add it to this page.
Earlier this week, the board of education held a special board meeting to approve one of three different proposals for an outside agency to help find a new superintendent for the Cameron R-1 school district. During this special meeting, the board discussed the three different proposals and ultimately voted unanimously to approve the proposal from the Missouri School Board Association.
Cameron R-1 School districts “small town values”
Prior to Monday’s vote to approve the proposal from the MSBA, the board discussed different pros and cons from the three different proposals. When school board Vice President Ryan Murphy brought up the importance of “small town values” during that discussion. He mentioned the importance of getting someone (a new superintendent) here that represents that.
Considering that the fight with the Cameron R-1 School District over the vulgar and sexually explicit books has been raging since February of 2023, perhaps it is prudent to ask the district and the board of education to define “small town values”. What qualities are they looking for in the Cameron R-1 School District’s next superintendent? Considering the way the school district and board has handled the deeply concerning book issue, it is important that we define some of these terms.
The following video shows clips from Monday’s special meeting and a previous board meeting from a few months ago where passages were read from one of the books the book committee voted to keep. Warning, you will hear content that includes both pedophilia and incest. How is this “small town values”? You can watch the full address to the board of education and their complete lack of outrage with this link.
The Search Begins for the Next Cameron R-1 School Superintendent
The board of education has approved the proposal from the MSBA, and the search should begin shortly. Beyond the details of what is provided in the MSBA proposal, we do not know much about the process. The proposal provides a sample timeline which begins in September, with the final interviews and hiring occurring in January. The timeline for Cameron is not yet known.
The MSBA proposal does ask the board to provide a copy of our current Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP), the current superintendent’s contract, and a job description so that the MSBA can get started. The job description is going to be important and will arguably define how the district moves forward. What will the board put in the job description and qualifications are they seeking?
What Can the Community Expect in the Months Ahead?
It has been 15 years since the Cameron R-1 School District last hired a school superintendent. That was well before I was paying any attention to the district or attending board meetings – this is all new to me too. But much of this process is protected under Missouri Sunshine Law and cannot lawfully be shared with the public.
The board can tell us non-specific details such as the number of possible candidates who will be interviewed. Specific details about who is being interviewed will not be made available to the public, as outlined in the Missouri Sunshine Law. The interviews and eventual vote to hire the new superintendent will all be done in an executive session.
We Could See a Community Engagement Meeting to Discuss the Superintendent Position
Page three of the MSBA proposal covers “Community Engagement” and will it be up to the board to decide what we might see. Community engagement, according to the proposal, can range from surveys to in person forums, or both. It will be up to the board to decide what they want and to direct the MSBA. We will have to wait and see.
Previously, the Cameron R-1 School Board has been hesitant to hold community engagement meetings. Considering the allegations surrounding the resignation of Superintendent Matt Robinson, it is likely the board will avoid a public community engagement meeting where those topics might come up. They will either avoid a public engagement meeting entirely or structure it in such a way as to limit certain topics.
This will be a developing story. As we get more information, we will publish additional articles.
In what came as a surprise to much of the community of Cameron, MO, Cameron R-1 Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Robinson has announced his resignation. No reason for the resignation was given beyond its effective date of June 30, 2026.
Dr. Matt Robinson, who has served as Superintendent of the Cameron School District since 2011, has announced his resignation effective June 30th, 2026.
Why is Matt Robinson resigning?
Excellent question. As you can see in yesterday’s press release from the school district, there is no stated reason for the resignation. We have requested comment from the district’s Communications Director and will update this story if and when we receive a comment.
The announcement of this resignation came less than 24 hours after the monthly school board meeting. The timing of this announcement and the lack of any explanation leads me to believe this may have been a disciplinary action taken by the school board.
Allegation of fentanyl in the Cameron High School
Two recent events within the Cameron R-1 School District drive my speculation. First on my speculative list is the allegation of fentanyl being distributed and used on school property and its possible cover-up. If true, failure to act and report this to the board could arguably be justification for demanding his resignation. Here is a video that gives an overview and timeline for the fentanyl allegations.
Previously, another incident was brought to the attention of the school board that they didn’t appear to know anything about. In this video from a previous board meeting, you can see the surprise on the faces of board members as they hear an account of what can be described as a wildly inappropriate assault that occurred at the elementary school. The board never commented, but it appears they didn’t know anything about this incident. The acts described in this video should have been reported to the board: they shouldn’t have heard about it from a member of the public.
Secretly Removing Books with Adult Content
In March, I approached current school board president Andi Lockridge at a school board candidate meet-and-greet event to discuss the ongoing “dirty book” issue. Specifically, I brought up concerns about the books that had been approved to keep by the district’s book review committee that were secretly being removed from the library. Mrs. Lockridge indicated she didn’t know anything about books being removed. Once again, it appears that Robinson was failing to inform the board of education.
Removal of these books without board approval is concerning. At the beginning of this fight over the explicit adult content, we met with Dr. Robinson to discuss solutions to the book issue. He told us repeatedly that to just remove books would potentially put the district, and more importantly the taxpayers, at risk of a lawsuit for First Amendment right-to-read violation allegations. The safe play was to keep these books with some form of restriction.
And that is initially what they did. A three-person book review committee was formed and reviewed these books. Once the vote was taken, the committee made a recommendation to the board. The last update I can find is from the June 2024 board meeting. You can find the list of books and recommendations in the June 2024 agenda under number 8, Non-Action Report, item A, Book Review. The board was told these books were being retained, with some being restricted. We can find no records indicating a vote to remove these books or that the board was informed of their removal.
The lack of records and the claim by Lockridge that she did not know about books being removed once again indicate the lack of communication with the board on an issue that could potentially lead to a lawsuit. Removing books without documented justification and board approval is akin to inviting lawsuits for viewpoint discrimination claims.
Currently, there are two pending lawsuits in Missouri relating to First Amendment claims against public schools for the removal of books. Both are lead by the ACLU. C.K.-W. v. Wentzville R-IV School District (2022-ongoing) and ACLU v. Independence School District (2022-pending). As seen in Wentzville, viewpoint discrimination lawsuits typically challenge districts that disproportionately remove books featuring diverse viewpoints, particularly those by and about communities of color and LGBTQ+ people. Is it possible the Cameron R-1 school district is at risk of being sued over these books being removed? I fear the answer is yes.
Take Steps Immediately to Mitigate Possible Lawsuits
While I detest the explicit content in these removed books being provided to children, I believe it is in the best interest of the taxpayers to take steps to avoid a lawsuit. Unfortunately, the only solution I see is to return those books to the shelves and renew the efforts to continue age restricting adult content. There isn’t a viewpoint discrimination claim if those books are in the library.
What Comes Next?
While I have no inside knowledge and the school board hasn’t told me their plans, it is safe to assume that they will advertise the job opening and prepare for interviews. But let’s be honest – how many applicants are going to be interested in stepping into this mess? Chances are good that potential applicants will find some of the articles on this site as well as the national coverage relating to the Dirty Book List. The applicant pool may be limited. There is good news, the search for a new superintendent will provide the community with opportunities.
The Opportunities this Resignation Provides
Most of us will agree that there is no small measure of conflict between the current administration and some of the local citizens. A new superintendent will provide an opportunity for a clean start for both the community and the district. The board will have the opportunity to ask the applicants how they would approach the issues of the last three years and hear new ideas on how to resolve these conflicts. New faces bring new ideas.
Discussions about the book issue could produce new ideas on how to deal with sexually explicit books while avoiding a lawsuit. I would suggest the board ask questions such as: Would it be possible to align the books in the library with the curriculum objectives of the school to remove some of the most problematic books while maintaining a view point neutral stance as outlined in Island Trees School District v. Pico.
Make Education the Priority
Nationally, grade-level proficiency is at an all-time low. Current figures for Cameron show reading proficiency at around 43 percent. Fifteen years ago, it was above 70 percent. ACT and SAT scores show similar trends to grade-level proficiency despite an all-time high in spending on public education. Even Ivy League schools like Harvard are having to offer remedial math classes to new students, according to this April 2025 New York Post article. This is an excellent opportunity to have important discussions on how Cameron can correct this downward trend. I would like to see Cameron in the top ten percent for the state of Missouri instead of marginally above average. Let’s have discussions about making education the priority.
In the span of little more than a week, the Cameron R-1 school district has had three different videos released that should concern any red-blooded, Constitution-loving Americans. These videos raise concerns about our public education system and what is being taught about our God-given rights, which are defined and protected by the Constitution.
Cameron school district police department
The first video includes the entire Cameron school district police department and its lead officer, Palmer. It shows a brief conversation between SRO Palmer and resident Heath Gilbert. Gilbert asks Palmer if he will be arrested for speaking to staff—something school superintendent Matt Robinson ordered in a ban letter. Palmer appears to believe that his chief of police, school superintendent Matt Robinson, has the authority to deny First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of the press by decree through a ban order.
Why Palmer’s stance is so concerning
In addition to swearing an oath to support and defend the Constitution as a law enforcement officer, SRO Johnny Palmer has also sworn that oath as a 22 year veteran of Missouri Army National Guard. Palmer appears to not understand that the Fourteenth Amendment protects all our civil liberties and guarantees they can’t be denied without due process of law. Palmer has sworn that oath twice but doesn’t appear to understand or honor those oaths.
School board president Andi Lockridge restricts Landi’s 1st Amendment
In our second video, local resident Dan Landi is attempting to address the board of education about school curriculum. When Landi mentions the word “pornographic,” a reference to adult books used as CHS curriculum material, Lockridge was quick to interrupt his address. Landi pointedly asked why she was trying to restrict his First Amendment rights. Her response?
“Because you’re not staying on topic. “ – Cameron R-1 school board president Andi Lockridge
Several concerns with Lockridge’s silencing of Landi’s freedom of speech
In the complete Landi address video,
I see several civil rights concerns. There appear to be several attempts to force Landi to stop reading from his prepared notes and instead talk about a document that the district had displayed on the wall-mounted monitors. Those interactions have the ring of compelled speech.
The “cause” for the frequent interruptions during Landi’s address appears to be based on the assertion that Landi was getting off topic. The final straw for Lockridge, and what ultimately caused her to terminate the remainder of his designated public comment period, was his attempt to bring books into his curriculum topic. Since when are books not related to school curriculum?
The implied threat of being forcibly removed or arrested
If you begin watching Dan’s address video at the 5-minute and 5-second mark, you will see that SRO Palmer has approached Landi and confronted him to get Landi to stop speaking and to sit down. After several requests to sit down, Palmer states, “I am going to ask you one more time,” and Landi responds with, “Or else what?” Palmer responds by saying:
“You and I are going to go outside.” – SRO Palmer
While Palmer doesn’t say the words “you will be arrested,” I would argue that it was implied when he told Landi that they would be going outside if Landi didn’t stop and go sit down. Those words, and Palmer’s close proximity to Landi, were arguably enough to chill speech. That could be argued to be a First Amendment violation.
A Likely Defense from the District to Any Possible First Amendment Claim
In this video, you can repeatedly hear Lockridge say variations of things such as “please sit down” and “I am asking you to sit down.” The Cameron school district or their attorneys would likely argue that he was asked to sit down—he wasn’t forced. I see two problems with that argument. Back to the video: at the 4-minute and 55-second mark, look towards the right side of the screen to the man in the background. That is superintendent Matt Robinson, and he runs the timer. Watch as he reaches out and removes the timer from the table. It will be difficult to argue that Landi could have continued talking with the timer stopped and removed from the table.
Small chance they would have given Landi unlimited time to continue to talk about books. When you add Lockridge’s threat—”I am warning you, if you go off topic your time is over”—the removal of the timer is a clear indication that the Cameron school district carried out that warning. Combine the actions of SRO Palmer and I believe Landi has a very strong First Amendment claim.
Similar event in Lawrence led to lawsuit against Lawrence school district
To help support my claim that Landi has a legitimate complaint against the Cameron school district, I am going to reference some breaking news. In a recent Libs of TikTok post on X, we see a lawsuit filed against the Lawrence, Kansas USD 497 for accusations of First Amendment violations after that school board had a mother’s microphone shut off. I agree with Libs of TikTok: HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. We will be following this federal lawsuit with great interest. Give them the business, Ms. Schmidt!
If you’re on X, please go show this post some love.
Resident Given Ban Despite Offering Proof Accusations Were False
The final video showing the Cameron school district has contempt for the Constitution is from a special hearing held to allow Heath Gilbert to appeal an indefinite ban. The discussion and vote can be seen in the following video clip. The full hearing video can be watched on the Show Me Transparency YouTube page, with the link taking you to that video. For an excellent summary of what is happening in this video, go read the write up from Hick Christian.
School board members are supposed to uphold the constitution
In the state of Missouri, elected school board members are required to swear an oath before they can begin to serve on the board. All Missouri school board members must take the oath prescribed by Article VII, Section 11 of the Missouri Constitution, which requires them to “take and subscribe an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution of the United States and of this state, and to demean themselves faithfully in office.”
I contend that the actions or inactions of these Cameron school board members are a violation of their oath of office. The board is elected to serve and safeguard the interests of the residents who make this school possible through significant taxes. Watching these videos leaves me with a very strong opinion: the Cameron R-1 school board members are captured and serve the school district, not the community. The board is in direct violation of their oath of office.
The Cameron R-1 school district has been fully embroiled in a book controversy with concerned parents and taxpayers over library books with content described as “adult” and “sexually explicit” since February 2023. During all these months since the first books were found, the Cameron R-1 school district has honored Missouri Sunshine Law requests and allowed inspection of library books and curriculum materials on school property. The school district now appears to refuse to allow further inspections and has provided instructions to instead go to a public library.
Recently, I was forwarded an email dated August 14 that originated from the Cameron school district. This email was in response to a verbal request to inspect books inside the Cameron High School library. Originally, a high school administrator had agreed to allow Landi access to the library on a day when no staff or students would be present. As you can see in this screenshot, the district seems to have indicated it will no longer comply with Missouri law and allow the inspection of books.
What laws allow inspections of these books?
First, the Missouri Sunshine Law, Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 610, allows for the inspection of public records. Every one of our previous requests to inspect books required the Cameron school district to insist we submit a Sunshine Law request as a condition of being able to inspect those books. They complied with each records request and allowed us to inspect those books—until now.
Additionally, Missouri Revised Statute Section 170.231 specifically allows for inspection of curriculum materials. Arguably, any book that was used as part of classroom instruction and was required reading could be classified as “curriculum material.” Failure to allow the inspection of one of these books could potentially be a violation of this statute.
Consequences for failure to allow inspection of curriculum materials
Missouri Revised Statute Section 162.091 indicates that failure to comply with the inspection of curriculum materials could be considered a misdemeanor and punishable by a $500 fine OR imprisonment in county jail for up to one year.
This statute states: “Any county clerk, county treasurer, school board member, officer or employee, or other officer, who willfully neglects or refuses to perform any duty imposed upon him by chapters 160 to 168, 170, 171, 177 and 178, or who willfully violates any provision of these chapters, is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed one year.”
Since the right to inspect curriculum materials is established under RSMo 170.231 (which falls under Chapter 170), any school official who “willfully neglects or refuses” to allow public inspection of curriculum materials as required by law would be committing a misdemeanor under Section 162.091.
What Cameron school district policies address sunshine law requests
According to Policy C-145-P: District Information and Records, the Cameron school district is obligated to comply with and fulfill Missouri Sunshine Law requests. The policy commits the district to ensuring public access to meetings, records, and votes as required by Missouri’s Sunshine Law, while recognizing that some records may be legally closed to the public.
This policy directly implements the district’s obligations under Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 610 (the Missouri Sunshine Law) by establishing the framework for public records access and designating the responsible officials.
Considering the Cameron school district has treated all previous requests to inspect books and curriculum materials as Sunshine Law requests, refusal to allow additional requests to inspect books would appear to be a deliberate and willful act to ignore the law.
Policy C-105-P: District Rules and Guides
This policy broadly requires all staff to follow district rules, which include legal compliance:
- “All Board members, employees, students and patrons are required to follow the District’s rules and regulations.”
- “The Superintendent, administrators and District supervisors are required to implement and enforce District policies, the Administrative Manual, the Employee Manual, and the Student/Parent Handbook.”
Refusal to comply with policy or law is potentially a violation of the employment contract
In previous records requests, we had the opportunity to inspect a Cameron school district employee’s employment contract with the district. That contract required the then-school district employee to comply with all school district policy and laws. For a school district employee to knowingly not comply with board-approved policy or the law could be a violation of their contract and grounds for possible termination of their employment.
A superintendent instructing staff to not comply with Missouri law and district policy is problematic
As a general rule, the school superintendent is responsible for ensuring the law and district rules are both followed and enforced. He serves both the district and the community—their bosses—and should lead by example as he carries out that responsibility. To instruct staff to intentionally ignore school policy and state law is in itself a violation of policy.
The employees who are instructed to ignore requests to inspect books and curriculum are being set up for failure. They are caught between risking reprimand for ignoring the instructions of the superintendent or potentially violating the law. Regardless of which action the employee takes, they are risking possible job termination.
The school superintendent is supposed to lead by example. By instructing staff to violate law and policy he is creating a toxic work environment. It also undermines both respect and confidence of staff in the ability of their chief executive officer to be fair, impartial and unbiased.
Is it possible the intent of the district was misunderstood?
It’s possible, but I am highly skeptical. We have reached out for comment from the district and those details will follow. Reviewing the email, the text is quite specific.
After speaking with Dr. Robinson to verify up-to-date procedures, I was informed that we are no longer accommodating requests to come into the building to review books. If there are specific books that you have concerns with, please provide the list of titles to the district for the review committee to review. You are always welcome to visit the public library that is located at 312 N Chestnut St and review the books in person.
Had the district been willing to allow the inspection of books in other buildings, such as the central office, that would have been included in this email. There should also have been some instructions on submitting a records request. It wasn’t. The only mention of how to inspect physical books was a suggestion that Mr. Landi visit a public library. The intent behind this email appears to be that Mr. Landi can kick rocks. His days of trying to find and inform the district of sexually explicit books in its libraries are over.
What was his purpose behind inspecting the books
The district has been asked multiple times to police the books in their libraries for the arguably harmful content that isn’t appropriate for children. The school district refuses. Mr. Landi is among several concerned parents and taxpayers who have volunteered their time to identify books that contain sexually explicit content that may be harmful to minors. Because of the efforts of this group the district’s book review committee has identified and restricted more than 40 books. The district wouldn’t have known to review those books without his assistance. Those books and others he helped find are on our Cameron R-1 School’s Dirty Book List.
On the day he attended the district’s open house at the high school he was interested in getting a closer look at two books. One was a graphic novel by an author who has books restricted to adults only. The other he understood contained detailed descriptions of gang rape, murder, incest, explicit sex acts and necrophilia. Those don’t sound like very wholesome or family-values type reading. They should appreciate his efforts and welcome the free help from his group. Instead of being grateful for his assistance in protecting children from harmful material they’ve dismissed him. They told him to kick rocks.
What does the district have to say about this email and refusal to allow book inspections
We have submitted a request to Gina Bainum, the school district’s Communications Director, to ask for comment. We asked Mrs. Bainum the following: “Considering the school district required these book inspections occur through a Missouri Sunshine Law request, how does the school district justify the end of these inspections made through the Sunshine Law? Additionally, does this inspection refusal extend to books which are required reading in the classroom and mentioned on a class syllabus?”
Right before publishing this article, I heard back from the communications director in response to my request for comment. Mrs. Bainum had clarifying questions and indicated she wasn’t aware of the email sent to Mr. Landi. I have shared the screenshot from this article and am awaiting a response. If we receive any comment, this article will be updated.
For two and a half years, there has been a heated debate in Cameron, MO, over the books being provided to students with our tax dollars. In this article, we will explain why some people are so concerned. We will also share resources and explain how parents can research books and get a glimpse of their content to help you decide if you want your child to read them.
What exactly is in these books that has caused the uproar?
While the book fight is a national issue, we are going to concentrate on the books found in the Cameron R-1 schools. Our examples will be directed specifically to the CHS school and library, but the same steps can be applied to any school in almost any city or state.
While not all books found in the CHS library are as graphic, the most recent discovery is a perfect example of the content being promoted to children. The book Bag of Bones contains explicit descriptions of gang rape, incest, sexual nudity, sexual activities, self-harm and necrophilia.
The Cameron R-1 school district has secretly removed some of the books with explicit adult content. You can read about that in the article titled “Cameron R-1 school district sees reason and begins removing explicit books.”
The resource provided to parents by the Cameron R-1 school district
The Cameron R-1 school district has responded to concerns over these books by providing access to the online resource. It can be accessed at GoFollett.com by anyone and allows you to search a specific school’s library and get descriptions of the books found there.
That sounds helpful, but the descriptions lack information useful to parents in deciding if a book’s content is appropriate for their child. Let us use Bag of Bones as an example. In Destiny, you will find the following description of this adult book—the resource the school board expects parents to use to make informed decisions about whether their child should read it:
Novelist Mike Noonan, still grieving the death of his wife after four years, retreats to Sara Laughs, his isolated summer home, but the peace he is seeking slips even further from his grasp when he finds the community in the grip of a powerful millionaire, and his hideaway becomes the site of ghostly visitations.
Through the website RatedBooks, we get a better glimpse of what you can truly expect to find in this book’s pages. The following summary is taken from RatedBooks:
Summary of Concerns
This book contains; alcohol, alternate gender/sexual ideologies, anxiety/mental illness, bullying, dark content, death/grief, deception, derogatory terms, drugs, dubious consent, gang rape, gore, horror, incest, murder, necrophilia (invision/nightmares), obscene/explicit
sexual activities/sexual nudity, potentially patently offensive content, potentially prurient content, profanity, racism, self-harm, sexism, suicidal thoughts, and violence (graphic).
There is a vast difference between the information provided in the two resources, yet the school district and board of education only tell you about and encourage you to utilize Destiny.
More problems with Destiny
Destiny does indicate to parents which books have been restricted by the school district. One example is the book The Bluest Eye. As you can see in the screenshot below, this book is restricted.
Cameron R-1 doesn’t provide parents enough information to make an informed decision
You can see next to the “Call #” in the screenshot that the district has restricted this book and requires parental approval for students to check it out. What you do not see is the reason why the book was restricted. If you go to BookLooks, you will find a link to the content. Be forewarned: this book includes incest and molestation with a graphic first-person description of the pleasure a father feels as he impregnates his preteen daughter. How does the description in Destiny compare to BookLooks, and which resource should the school district be encouraging parents to use?
A three-person book review committee voted to restrict this book, but the district refuses to tell us why. Why then does the district refuse to allow a true informed decision by advising the public what kind of content is in these books? The committee knows what content is in this book; it is arguably what caused them to restrict it to only students above the age of 18. Why the secretary and lack of transparency?
How to determine if the books are right for your child
Unfortunately, there is no universal book rating system that makes this process easy for concerned parents. It will require effort on your part because the school district does not take responsibility for vetting the content they provide to your children. There are more than 30,000 books in the Cameron school district, and parents are left to research the content themselves.
There are numerous websites that maintain a list of concerning books which are easy to find. This website contains a list of books specific to the Cameron school district on our Dirty Book Page. We recommend copying the title you want to research and then logging into the Destiny Discover page by selecting your state, the school district, and finally the specific school within that district as shown below. Once you confirm the book is in your library, proceed to RatedBooks and see if they have a record of the book. Not every book is on RatedBooks.
How to proceed after finding a book you do not want your child to read
By default, any of the 40-some books the district has restricted are not available to students unless they are 18 years old. Unfortunately, we have reported upwards of 200 books to the district, and not everything with sexually explicit content is being restricted by the book review committee. If you find a book that isn’t restricted by the district, you can complete the district’s book restriction form. But be forewarned: you still need to monitor what books the district allows your child to access. In February of this year, the district was caught providing restricted books to students without parental consent during a Book Tasting event. Allegations were made that a school district employee completed parental consent forms so a child could read the restricted book The Hate You Give. As Ronald Reagan once said, trust but verify. You can track what books your student reads through Destiny—be sure to ask the school for help in accessing those records.
The erosion of parental rights in education in the Cameron school district
It was long ago established that parents have the absolute right to direct the education of their children. I contend that the Cameron R-1 school district is doing an end run around those rights by knowingly providing explicit adult content to our children without informing the public. This is especially true for the books the school’s book review committee has reviewed and restricted.
The board of education is derelict in its responsibility to provide oversight and inform the community
During board meetings where the Cameron R-1 school district was provided the recommendations of the book review committee, they failed to ask any questions or even vote to accept the committee’s recommendations. It would have been reasonable to ask questions such as why books were restricted or what guidelines the committee used to make decisions. The board failed in every instance to ask questions, demand transparency for the book review process, or take any vote. The board entirely abdicated its responsibilities to the community and refused to provide any oversight.
Actions the school district and board should take to inform and empower parents
To properly inform and empower parents, the Cameron R-1 school district and board should:
- Provide detailed content warnings alongside book descriptions in Destiny Discover
- Publish clear criteria used by the book review committee for restricting materials
- Ensure transparent communication about why specific books are restricted
- Implement proper oversight procedures to prevent unauthorized access to restricted materials
- Respect parental rights by making the review process more accessible, transparent and informative
- Create policy that strengthens parental rights and allows a formal book challenge process
Parents deserve to make truly informed decisions about their children’s reading materials. The current system falls short of providing the transparency and information parents need to exercise their fundamental right to guide their children’s education.