Dennis Lennox: Michigan School Spying Scandal Gives GOP a Chance

Heading into November, Republicans should become the party of parents.

That’s especially true as more disturbing details involving Rochester Community Schools, a public school district in suburban Detroit, emerge.

Based on reporting by the Detroit News, we know that school officials not only spied on parents who took issue with the district’s handling of the pandemic but also leveraged the district’s officialdom to have police harass parents. A deputy superintendent even contacted one parent’s employer to inform them of the actions of “a parent associated with their business.” (Weeks later, this employer fired the parent allegedly due to “restructuring.”)

Put another way, the school district acted as like the ruling party in a one-party authoritarian regime.

This is a national scandal on par with what we saw last year in Loudon County, Virginia. You know, the backlash from everyday parents that propelled now-Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to victory in what is normally a solidly blue state.

Republicans and Democrats should be outraged at the conduct of Rochester Superintendent Robert Shaner, lower-level administrators, and the school board, the latter of which is ultimately responsible for the district.

It’s precisely the kind of game-changer that could put Oakland County — once a solid red county — back into GOP hands.

Yet, there has been complete radio silence from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D). That is probably expected given the extent to which Democrats are reliant upon teacher unions for their political infrastructure. But what about the Republicans hoping to run against Whitmer in the general election?

Only Perry Johnson, a self-funding businessman whose candidacy disrupted the otherwise nonexistent campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, reacted to the latest reporting by the News.

On Twitter, he said: “Parents need more authority in the education of our children! We need to thank those parents who stood up against the policies that shut down our schools and masked our kids.”

Former Detroit top cop James Craig, one-time car dealer Kevin Rinke, and conservative media personality Tudor Dixon have said nothing, at least based on a review of their Twitter channels. Ditto for the Michigan Republican Party.

If Whitmer wants to keep the votes of middle-class parents in Oakland County, which she won with 57.3 percent of the vote in 2018, then she should signal her independence from teacher unions and tyrannical school districts by using her constitutional authority to remove the Rochester school officials. If she won’t, then all of the Republicans hoping to beat her should commit to taking action against the officials in question on the very first day in office.

Republicans wanting to win in November need to wake up and smell the coffee.

Riding an expected red wave may not be enough, especially in electorally challenging Michigan. And forget the GOP’s old alliance with big-business and the chambers of commerce, which have gone all-in on the wokism rallying otherwise apolitical parents across the country.

The GOP has a real opportunity to reverse electoral trends by Democrats in Oakland County and other similar areas if it stands up for students.

But that requires candidates willing to exercise the full authority and powers of their office after winning election.

Dennis Lennox is a Michigan-based political commentator and public affairs. Follow @dennislennox on Twitter.