Language to recall three members of the Traverse City Area Public Schools Board was approved Tuesday.
The recall efforts aim to remove Sue Kelly, Matt Anderson and Pam Forton from the board. They have 10 days to appeal.
Ian Ashton is with TCAPS Transparency — the group behind the recall petition — and he says there’s a toxic culture on the board of deception and bullying.
“It just made me… not even angry, it made me really sad for the leadership we are showing to our kids,” Ashton said.
The group needs 12,000 signatures of support in order to take the next steps. It also plans to recall more members of the school board, Ashton said.
They’re targeting the members that were behind the alleged forced resignation of former Superintendent Ann Cardon.
Anderson plans to appeal the petition, because he says Cardon wasn’t fired — she resigned.
“The only viable option left at that time was a mutual agreement to part ways,” he said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Forton and Kelly did not respond to requests for comment.