The Oklahoman
The (Edmond) local public school system issued an apology after a volunteer announcer who works for a local political candidate endorsed his employer while announcing a Saturday football scrimmage.
“We need to keep this seat Republican,” Andrew Speno told those in attendance at the game, according to Susan Parks-Schlepp, Edmond Public Schools spokeswoman.
Speno asked the audience to support state Senate candidate Paul Blair. Speno works as Blair’s media consultant.
Blair, an Edmond minister, faces former Air Force captain Adam Pugh in a Tuesday runoff election for Senate District 41.
Speno, a parent of a student at Santa Fe High School and a football booster club member, was announcing the game from the district’s press box “when he took it upon himself to make unscheduled, impromptu remarks in support of a political candidate,” according to a news release from the school district.
“After investigating, we determined that this parent was unaware Oklahoma law prohibits the use of school district resources to attempt to influence an election,” Edmond Public Schools Superintendent Bret Towne wrote in the news release.
“The district takes no position on any candidate or party in the upcoming state or national elections.”
Reached by phone Wednesday, Speno said he has announced the annual scrimmage for the past three years and called the endorsement “an honest mistake,” but declined further comment.
Parks-Schlepp said the incident has been reported to the Oklahoma County District Attorneys Office and the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
I call BS Speno knew what he was doing before he did it.
Isn’t he the media consultant for the State Republican Party who attacked the Superintendent of Mustang Public Schools for misusing school property to campaign against Senator Loveless’ opponent? It is total BS that he now claims he didn’t know he couldn’t do that.
Pam Pollard needs to fire Mr Speno and set the example that corruption and misuse of public resources are not shared republican values.