MISHAWAKA, Ind. — REAL News Michiana has learned Penn Harris Madison School Board President Chris Riley, along with the Board’s attorney, is threatening another member of the board with a felony charge for simply questioning an obvious political investigation into a PHM parent. School Board Member Matt Chaffee brought up the less than veiled threat he received during a PHM School Board meeting Monday night.
“As recently as last week, I was told, pretty much flat out, to shut up and comply or a felony charge might be in place.” Chaffee said at the end of the meeting.
Riley then put his own twist on the threat levied toward the duly elected board member.
“The reminder that was sent to the board members is simply this: We have been asked and instructed by the Prosecutor’s Office in the past not to take any steps that could be deemed to interfere with an ongoing criminal investigation. All board members have simply been reminded of that request.” Riley said.
However, that “reminder” just happened to be sent out as Chaffee was looking into the incident on his own.
“As a school board trustee, I was elected by the community to serve you and represent you, so I did my own fact digging.” Chaffee stated at the end of the meeting. “(The prosecutor’s office) has no information on any investigation. That makes me wonder why is this not being resolved. The police closed it on October 5th. So, what’s happening here?”
On Monday, RNM published a story uncovering Sheriff Bill Redman had reopened 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.
“Why? What changed? I would want to know. It’s what I’ve been seeking out in my duty.” Chaffee stated while referring to the RNM story.
“The police report did not indicate any criminal activity. At that point… I assumed everything was finished.” Board Member James Garrett added. “When the investigation was conducted by (the school resource officer) we knew why, it was because of the video. Now there’s a continuing investigation going on and we don’t know why.”
While nobody will answer why the investigation was reopened, it is clear that Sheriff Redman and Board President Riley have a cozy relationship. In fact, Sheriff Redman endorsed Riley during his school board campaign last year. Redman also endorsed Chaffee’s opponent (all while Chaffee is now being threatened with a felony for looking into the situation).
BACKGROUND
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 the initial 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, as stated above, RNM has learned the SJPD reopened the investigation at the direction of Sheriff Redman.
On top of the close relationship between Redman and Riley, Dallas has also been extremely critical of the Sheriff. 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
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.
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