MISHAWAKA, Ind. — REAL News Michiana has learned Sheriff Bill Redman has re-opened an investigation into a Penn Harris Madison School Corporation parent for posting a harmless meme to social media, despite his investigators previously concluding no crime had been committed. It turns out, Redman endorsed the school board members who have pushed for the ban. And, according to sources, Redman has a close relationship with at least one of the board members at the center of the controversy.
Ben Dallas, a parent of four children in the school district, has been banned from school property since September. Sheriff Redman’s “investigation” gives the school district cover to continue to prevent Dallas from coming on to school property.
According to a letter Dallas received in September, the ban stems from a video he created and posted to YouTube in which he uses a popular meme from the movie The Matrix. The meme shows the main character, Neo, dodging bullets being fired at him. In the meme created by Dallas, Neo is depicted as school board president Chris Riley. Instead of dodging bullets, Riley is dodging words that come across the page. Those words include “accountability,” “hiring sex workers” and “implicit bias” — all things Riley has been accused of ignoring in the PHM School Corporation. PHM claimed the video below is considered a threat of gun violence.
Chris Riley submitted a report to the St. Joseph County Police Department claiming the above video was threatening gun violence. Investigators concluded their investigation on October 5th, determining no crime was committed. Despite that conclusion, the ban has remained. And, recently, RNM has learned the SJPD reopened the investigation at the direction of Sheriff Redman.
REDMAN AND RILEY
RNM has learned Sheriff Redman and Chris Riley have a fairly close relationship. In fact, Redman endorsed Riley last year. Redman also endorsed left-leaning board member Dana Sullivan who has stayed silent on the issue.
Dallas has also been extremely critical of Redman. In the past, Dallas has created and posted videos to YouTube, calling out Redman’s apparent corruption including his misuse of tens of thousands of dollars in DARE funds.
OBVIOUS RETALIATION
Dallas has been extremely vocal and critical of PHM, its administration and school board members. He has spoken out about Critical Race Theory, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, radical gender theory and the district’s employment of a drag queen who works as a paraprofessional with developmentally disabled children.
While the district claims Dallas was banned from school property for the “threatening” meme, the banishment came only a day after the US Department of Education came down with a ruling showing the school district violated the civil rights of straight white students — all stemming from a formal complaint filed by Dallas.
Dallas was also successful in another complaint that he filed against PHM earlier this year in which the school district violated Indiana open door laws. That case is currently being used as an example by the state as how school boards should not behave in an article titled “Guidance from the Public Access Counselor on Public Comment at School Board Meetings.”
One week after PHM banned Dallas from school grounds, the PHM School Board Vice President then sent Dallas’ employer a message on Linkedin in an attempt to get the father of 4 fired from his private sector job.
“I thought you should be aware that one of your employees… uses these platforms to post some disturbing social media post.” PHM School Board Vice President Ryan McCullough wrote in his message on September 28th. While a screenshot of the message can be seen below, RNM has redacted portions that could identify the parent’s employer.
VETERAN DISCRIMINATION
REAL News Michiana learned from multiple sources earlier this month, that the Penn Harris Madison School Corporation is also maintaining the ban because Dallas is a combat veteran. According to two sources who wish not to be named out of fear of retaliation, Superintendent Jerry Thacker said PHM is finding ways to keep the ban against Dallas because he is a veteran and he owns guns. Dallas retired from the Army in 2016. He did two combat tours, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
Last month, RNM learned the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) opened another investigation into the Penn Harris Madison School Corporation focusing on apparent retaliation the school district has taken against Dallas.
The School Board’s next meeting is tonight at Walt Disney Elementary School at 7:00pm.
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