Race-Baiting Jackass Won't Run

Apparently, making baseless charges of racism takes a lot out of a guy.

Chris Stewart says he's grown from his time on the Minneapolis school board. Great, Rahelio... that sounds like you're pretty selfish. In spite of personal growth he wants to go elsewhere to continue his journey into adulthood, meaning he doesn't like his chances running to keep his seat on the school board after continuing to smear folks with the libelous and slanderous charges of racism.

Or, perhaps he was told earlier not to run.

"The school board experience has been super helpful, and I've learned a lot, but it also opened up other avenues that I think I need to pursue to do more."

This guy is on a school board and says that it was "super helpful"???

Regardless of how he likes to write (and as Rahelio Soleil, he certainly did like to write), he recognizes that he has a problem... and we all know how the first step to personal betterment is the acknowledgment that you have a problem. We believe Chris Stewart is correct in his assessment and have tried to get him to recognize that fact.

We're glad to be of service to you Chris Stewart / Rahelio Soleil.

Now, can you please stop yourself from calling people racists?


UPDATE!
13:35 PM Tuesday February 2, 2010

Star-Trib columnist Jon Tevlin's piece from yesterday mentions the unfortunate case with a school principal tarred by Chris Stewart's charge of racism.

The "case file" apparently doesn't include anything about the alleged incident... but it includes such shocking and grievous transgressions as these:

Cadotte let a few checks leave the building without two signatures, against district policy. No wrongdoing is alleged, just haste...

Cadotte allegedly violated media policy. A photographer snapped a shot of a student hugging Cadotte. Turns out he had permission on file to hug that student, he just didn't know it at the time -- a violation.

MPS said Cadotte violated policy against free outside legal help. In fact, Cadotte said he paid his attorney, but he refused to answer questions about it because it was attorney-client privilege.

It also looked into accusations that Cadotte made racially offensive remarks and found he did not.

Evidently, Stewart eventually did meet with Cadotte and the two settled the matter after a couple of hours... for what it is worth.

Chris Stewart: "I'm conservative in most ways"

From Mpls.-St.Paul Magazine, Chris Stewart (Chris "Rahelio Soleil" Stewart, Minnapolis school board member, Chris "You're a racist" Stewart, etc.) says he's "conservative in most ways".

Most? Really, Rahelio? How is that?

He also says he's "probably the msot conservative member of the board"... which, is probably true. However, that's similar to damning with faint praise. ;)

It's great that Chris "Rahelio Soleil" Stewart wants to define himself as a conservative DFLer... but wouldn't you like some more details on that? Don't you want to hear more about that?

To be fair, he's a school board member and might jive with conservatives in his district more... but if you are a conservative, do you really want a guy who has a hair-trigger on his "you're a racist" claims? What if you are a liberal? Do you want a school board member making unfounded claims of racism to people and organizations?

I suspect not.

From the Mouth of Chris Stewart

With folks paying attention elsewhere, Chris Stewart chimed in on his blog earlier in June.

For weeks I have resisted getting mired in an unproductive public discussion about a visit that I made to Burroughs Community School.

This is believable... as he rarely likes to get involved in public discussions over bad mistakes.

My attention is focused on the restructuring of our school district and there is little to be gained by engaging in anything that does not help improve things for our students.

Isn't that pretty much what he said regarding the last time he painted someone as a racist in public?

However, my silence has allowed hearsay and speculation to outweigh the positive conversations our communities are having about race and equity in Minneapolis Public Schools.

To be fair, Chris... the gravity of your own statements allowed hearsay and speculation in to the public forum. You did this to yourself.

To be clear, I did not call the Burroughs community any name. However, I did question the appropriateness of a message from the Burroughs Site Council that openly states which kids of color they find “preferable” for purposes of achieving diversity.

...and you did that by calling the principal of Burroughs a racist.

I remain clear on the fact that no public school community shall establish preferences for students on the basis of race, culture, ability, economic status, or non-traditional family status.

Unless the group is black? In that case, by your standards, you want preferences.

Advocating for programming that serves a single ethnic group simply cannot be used as an excuse for the rejection of other groups. All children are welcome in all of our schools.

I also have challenged the troublesome messages authored by some parents of Burroughs students.

...by calling them racists?

The distribution of flyers in a public school that use the invidious and divisive language of America’s disgusting busing era is simply unacceptable in 2009. To follow that with a poster that labels some children as “losers” also crosses the line.

Because you wanted to call them losers?

The posters suggest that it is the students who will lose out, Chris. You've mischaracterized the message... or intentionally misread the message.

Par for the course for you.

These inappropriate messages are not isolated...

Which is what we've said for years, Chris... you've made inappropriate messages to many folks. You worked to avoid the consequences then, and you're avoiding the consequences now.

When is the next election for the Minneapolis School Board? You're up in... 2011, right?

in fact, they add to a large volume of culturally narcissistic email and letters...

But no worse than calling blacks with whom you disagree "Uncle Tom" or "Coons".

...I have received over a period of several months. Together the messages create a shrill and insufferable collective body of evidence that reflects a difference of values between some folks in that community and the Minneapolis Public Schools as an institution serving all children.

This guy loves re-runs.

The Twin Cities Daily Planet mentioned Stewart's "say nothing" blog post.

Kip Wennerlund is a parent of two Burroughs students and co-chair of the school’s advisory board that drafted the statement. He said Burroughs parents are willing to discuss problems with the statement’s wording, but faulted Stewart’s approach as confrontational and is distracting all parties from the important work that needs to be done.

“It says nothing about excluding anyone else,” Wennerlund said. “No matter how many times they try to say it does, it doesn’t make it true. People at Burroughs would be happy to talk about what more we could do to address issues of diversity. But it’s hard to get to that point with anyone who’s called your principal, your school community, racist.”

And, Stewart is quoted with another marvelous statement... showing that he's not there to represent Minneapolis students, their parents, and schools.

“If you have direct access to all media outlets, to all legislators, to the power base of Minneapolis, if you write the most checks to every politician in the city, if you just expect to get access to power at all times, I’m probably not your board member and I’m OK with that,” Stewart said.

What he's saying is that white people have unfettered access to various mediums, politicians, money, etc.

Chris Stewart Update

Good note regarding Independence Party actions starting against Chris "Rahelio Soleil" Stewart.

Press Release: IP starts questioning related to MPLS School Director Chris Stewart
by Peter Tharaldson
For Immediate Release:

INDEPENDENCE PARTY, CITING CONCERN OVER PAST STEWART BEHAVIOR, MAKES DATA PRACTICES REQUEST OF MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOL DISTRICT IN MATTER OF DIRECTOR STEWART AND BURROUGHS SCHOOL

Pls read the rest of the article at Anti-strib.blogspot.com

Stewart in Strib Letters to the Editor

From a recent issue of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

Stewart's actions prompt questions

As a taxpayer deeply concerned about Minneapolis School Board Member Christopher Stewart's behavior recently, I'm wondering if the school board can address some questions I have:

(1) Why was Burroughs Elementary Principal Tim Cadotte placed on administrative leave, whereas Mr. Stewart has had no repercussions? Can we expect to see any changes in Mr. Stewart's position? It just doesn't seem right that the principal is accused of racism and then is forced to take an administrative leave for defending the claim against him. If someone has to be placed on leave, shouldn't both parties be until an investigation is complete?

Plenty of folks have asked, and of course it is a question that comes to mind easily. However, it seems as though the answer will not appear until the stated investigation reaches a conclusion... and even then we might not know.

(2) Is there an investigation, or fact-finding mission, in place to find out what really happened? If so, does it include placing the burden on Mr. Stewart to justify his claim, as opposed to placing it on Principal Cadotte to defend himself, or is Principal Cadotte not innocent until proven guilty?

Apparently... the Strib and other sources have mentioned it... but what exactly is being investigated is not quite known. We can assume it is the argument that took place between Principal Cadotte and Minneapolis School Board member Chris Stewart (who, if you haven't done a web search, used to use the online pseudonym Rahelio Soleil, and used to write under the name Rev. Rahelio Soleil).

Hopefully, we'll hear something whenever this investigation finishes.

(3) Does the board have a mechanism in which the members either sanction one another or recommend that a member submit a letter of resignation if he/she acts unprofessionally?

Yes... it is the soapbox. You submitted it to your soapbox The Star-Tribune (albeit, one with a questionable reputation) and I'm posting it on this online soapbox ChrisStewartResignNow. If you really want something done, you should bring your soapbox to folks you know in your neighborhood, smaller publications both print and online, school board meetings, and the Burroughs school. Meet people, engage them, and if they are interested encourage them to do the same.

Chris Stewart's fellow board members should hear from you, but obviously in a polite and reasonable way.

(4) Is there a mechanism in place for the community to publicly request his resignation (whether it be a public forum that is scheduled, or a petition that is circulating)?

JOHN MEDEIROS
MINNEAPOLIS

Mr. Medeiros, you are that mechanism. We all are the mechanism. If we weren't there would be such a huge and difficult bureaucracy in the way of progress and common sense that nothing could get done.

You've got paper and pen, a keyboard and an e-mail account, a phone, and shoews and a mouth.

As Red told Andy in "Shawshank Redemption"... get busy living or get busy dying.

We gotta do our own work ourselves.

Chris Stewart's Body Language Speaks Volumes

Hat Tip to Craig Lassig (photo) and Beth Hawkins from www.minnpost.com.

NOTE: commentary* that has been interjected is denoted in (*parentheses) & is not the opinion nor the written word of www.minnpost.com.

The Minneapolis Public Schools parent advisory group had just called its meeting to order last Monday night when Chris Stewart slipped (*slithered) into the room. Quietly, he slid (*like a snake) into a seat at the back of the room, opposite the dais where he and the other school board members usually sit when they're here, and next to a man with his elementary school-age daughter. The two nodded hellos. And then the father broke into a grin (*patiently waiting to give the school board a piece of his mind). "Hot in here," he quipped, laughing (*hmmm shaudenfraude).....

Please read the entire story posted at Anti-Strib.com...

Related: Cadotte Due to Return Monday

The man Chris Stewart (Rahelio Soleil) called racist returns to his post as Principal of Burroughs school Monday May 4th... so says the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

"I'm just looking forward to returning to Burroughs and the fine work we do there," Cadotte said during a phone interview Friday night.

[...]

...Parents learned about Cadotte's reinstatement in a letter the school sent home with students Friday afternoon.

[...]

"It's my understanding that there will be a formal meeting [when the investigation is complete]," Cadotte said. "But I've never done anything like this before so I don't know what that means."

[...]

...Stewart declined to comment and [Minneapolis School Board Chair Tom] Madden did not return calls Friday night.

Since the investigation has yet to finish, Stewart and Madden and the rest of the school board would not be at liberty to speak on the matter.

If you have additional information, please submit it via e-mail or through the comment section.

Dear Minneapolis School Board, Chris Stewart Was Out of Line

Is it that local parents and politicians like Principal Tim Cadotte of Burroughs school, or is it that they speculate on the sincerity, integity, and general demeanor of Chris Stewart... the Minneapolis School Board member also known as Rahelio Soleil. (See the blog archives for more on Rahelio/Chris Stewart.)

Local politicians sent a letter of support for Principal Tim Cadotte dated April 27th. The letter includes:

The seemingly abrupt administrative leave forced on Principal Tim Cadotte after an exchange with an elected district leader is alarming. By any available measure, Tim Cadotte is among the most successful principals in the school district. He must be reinstated to his position as soon as possible.

We would also hope that you take the opportunity undertake [sic] whatever internal process you have available to you that would confirm propriety of actions on the part of elected officials, especially in their interaction with district employees and public professionals.

Absent strong, swift, and certain steps on your part, it is difficult to imagine how valid decisions can be made in such an environment of distrust.

Check out the document for yourself.

Seemingly abrupt
Alarming
Elected official(s) who need to learn how to act with professionals

While those seven politicians don't mention Chris Stewart (or his other name, Rahelio Soleil)... it sure sounds like they are talking about him.

Stop Reminding the Public That Chris Stewart Loves to Race-Bait

Yesterday, the co-chair of the Coalition of Black Churches/African American Leadership Summit held a news conference at the Urban League in order to run interference for Chris Stewart, the Minneapolis school board member who displayed extraordinarily bad judgment when he created a race-baiting blog under the handle of Rahelio Soleil.

You might remember Chris Stewart / Rahelio Soleil from another moronic move when he created a fake election campaign site in order to paint an Independence Party candidate as a racist... but when he was called out publicly for doing so, he said, "Whoops!" and that it was all in good fun.

Back to our story about Bill English, co-chair of the Coalition of Black Churches/African American Leadership Summit.

"Neither the principal [nor] director Stewart at this time are guilty of any infraction [and] are innocent until proven guilty," English said. "The general public, elected officials and the press should allow this investigation to go forward without interference and without any attempt to influence public opinion."

Still need a refresher? Check out this blog. You'll discover how Chris Stewart, Minneapolis school board member, called a school principal, the school itself, and the school's parent/faculty council racist... and following that, the principal was put on leave.

English described the district's placement of Cadotte on indefinite paid administrative leave as routine...

Is he qualified to make such a statement regarding a school principal? He might be correct (and probably is correct), but from where does his information come?

Another co-chair of the coalition, Rev. Randolph Staten, said:

...the rally, the politicians' letters, and news coverage all represent attempts to vilify Stewart.

Reverand Staten, how many people have reminded the public about Chris Stewart's other name (Rahelio Soleil), his penchant for calling folks racist (with little or no reasoning), his willingness to call black folks who disagree with him "coons", not to mention the libelous website he worked on regarding the Independence Party candidate from a 2006 election? Not many.

How many have avoided those stories? A fair few.

Do you consider those stories relevant to the recent events?

About that letter from politicians.

Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, spoke at the rally for Cadotte. Dibble is one of seven politicians who sent a letter Monday to board chair Tom Madden, calling for Cadotte to be reinstated as soon as possible. House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, and Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, also signed the letter.

English and Rev. Staten called unfair on the Minneapolis Star-Tribune for:

...not publishing a letter Superintendent Bill Green submitted to the editorial department.

Mr. English also provided two fliers...

...fliers that he claimed were created by Burroughs parents. One has a picture of a white child with the word "loser" across his forehead. The text included: "Soon your children may no longer have access to the same strong schools they do now."

The second flier said in part: "Our school district is ignoring the successful neighborhood school we have helped build. They want to give busing another try."

According to the co-chair of the Burroughs staff-parent site council, Kip Wennerlund, those fliers were not distributed by the council.

"Trying to portray non-Burroughs messages as coming from Burroughs is blatantly misleading and seems to be an effort to somehow justify the actions of Mr. Stewart."

Someone on the Twin Cities Daily Planet mentioned a poster... we presume the commentor is refering to one of those two fliers.