By Antonio D. French
Filed Monday, March 6 at 11:19 AM
Supporters of school board candidate Peter Downs are alleging that a board member got physical with their candidate at a recent event.
In an email to PUB DEF, they say that on Saturday March 4, at a candidate forum in north St. Louis, Downs was "bullied and baited by present School Board member Ron Jackson in a blatant attempt to push Downs into a physical altercation."
According to the email, as they were leaving the forum, Jackson confronted Downs, who is still recovering from a broken ankle and wearing a walking cast. They say Jackson "got in Downs' face, shaking his finger and yelling at him." They say their candidate walked away rather than escalate the situation.
Jackson said that it is a stretch to say he "confronted" Downs. "It wasn't a confrontation, it was a conversation," Jackson told PUB DEF. He said he asked Downs, who publishes a regular newsletter on St. Louis public schools, not to write about his 14 year-old daughter anymore. He said he told Downs he was out of line for publishing a quote last year from a conversation overheard between Jackson's daughter and another person.
"I didn't threaten him," said Jackson. "I didn't raise my voice."
Downs' campaign also alleged that Jackson once had to be restrained from assaulting another critic, George Cotton, during a community meeting at a church back in 2003. Jackson denied that characterization as well.
He said Cotton falsely stated that Jackson's children never attended public schools at a forum in August 2003. "That's not true," Jackson told Cotton. After the exchange, Jackson says Cotton admitted privately that he was just trying to bait him.
Jackson said he volunteers his time with the district to help children, not fight with people. "I'm in this to hopefully improve the outcome for St. Louis public school students," he said.
Jackson is not currently running for re-election. Downs is one of seven candidates, including current board members Darnetta Clinkscale and Jim Buford, running for two seats on the school board.
10 Comments:
If Peter Downs was out there telling lies about me I would confront him too. But that doesn't sound like a "physical" attack, unless you're some kind of sissy?
9:13 AM, March 06, 2006
I guess Ron was study Vince a little too closely!
10:15 AM, March 06, 2006
I guess Ron was studying Vince a little too closely!
10:16 AM, March 06, 2006
Jackson verbally bullied a female after the candidate forum on February 8 in the lobby at Harris Stowe. He argued with the lady about some bad fruit that was served to students until being restrained by others. Many people witnessed this.
1:42 PM, March 06, 2006
Too bad "the southsider" remains anonymous (here and in the Arch City Chronicle)- I consider that "sissy". I hope he doesn't live in my neighborhood.
Beth Faust
4:24 PM, March 06, 2006
Enough you people
4:54 PM, March 06, 2006
Physical attack, what is this? People should not be getting physical, how professional is that?
5:50 PM, March 06, 2006
Last night at the Urban League dinner, Mayor Slay was tacky enough to campaign for Clinkscale and Buford in his remarks. It would have been one thing to thank Jim for helping out, but to go so far as to say that Jim and Darnetta should be retained is just tacky, opportunistic campaigning.
6:18 AM, March 07, 2006
Beth, my real name is Bruce Wayne
6:44 AM, March 07, 2006
Interesting choice of words with "sissy" -- are you trying to call Downs a woman?
Would that be a bad thing?
8:58 AM, March 07, 2006
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