School Board Trustee Targeted After Anti-Masker’s Crusade

A battle is squaring off between anti-mask and pro-precaution factions in a school board in Nevada, and one board member, in particular, has found herself a target, after expressing concerns about the behavior of another official.

Las Vegas Now offers an overview of the latest round of the ideological battle, in which Clark County School Board Trustee President Linda Cavazos was the target of dozens of protestors outside her personal residence on Sunday. It wasn’t just about masks, though. The board has faced a series of issues over the past year dealing with COVID-19, including a decision — reversed recently — to fire the school superintendent, and parents across the nation have been fired up over safety and education decisions that school boards have made for their children.

In the case of Cavazos, there’s another factor relating to the political divide, and here’s where another official comes in. Clark County School District Trustee Katie Williams has been adding to the volatile situation with social media posts opposing safety measures. At last, Cavazos sent an email to Williams, asking for a meeting to discuss a list of behaviors including “refusal to follow safety protocols at board meetings,” “social media posts demeaning and degrading other elected officials,” and “willfully and deliberately spreading misinformation…to the point of committing libel about other elected officials.”

The email ends with a request that Williams submit to an evaluation to determine whether she is still capable of fulfilling her duties as a Trustee.

Williams released a copy of this email on her Twitter account on November 6th, declaring it “communism in its truest form.”

Since then, Williams has tweeted about Cavazos numerous times, including calling her a racist, accusing her of lying, and saying she’ll cut out the social media behavior that raised concerns if Cavazos and certain other board members will resign.

I'll stop tweeting if @lindacavazos13, @TrusteeFord & @LmGuzmanNV resign from the board.

No joke, I'll delete the whole account. #CCSD https://t.co/oCIoWzz3P4

— Katie J. Williams (@realkatiejow) November 6, 2021

However, she flatly denies having anything to do with Sunday’s protest and says she doesn’t condone protesting outside of anyone’s home.

Let me be clear.

While I will always support the first amendment and the right to peaceably assemble.

I not now, nor have I ever, supported protesting outside of a personal residence of any public figure.

Nor have I ever directed individuals to do so.#TrusteeWilliams

— Katie J. Williams (@realkatiejow) November 22, 2021

Despite that, she defended the protest as “peaceful,” saying, “No doors breached, no one injured.”

The amount of rage pointed in my direction says more about y'all than it does about me.

While I don't condone protesting outside of personal homes, the police were present and from what their reports say, the protest was peaceful.

No doors breached, no one injured.#CalmDown

— Katie J. Williams (@realkatiejow) November 22, 2021

Cavazos described it as “…quite disturbing and an extremely upsetting experience.”

School officials have been threatened in districts across the United States over recent months, as rage about masks and anti-racist education have been stoked by disinformation artists in politics and media.