Chicago Suburb Imitates Obama

From the Chicago Sun Times: Three members of a south suburban school board are felons — and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office is considering whether to seek their removal from office, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Joe Louis Sherman, Mark Mitchell and James J. Coleman are members of Ford Heights Public School District 169. They have presided over an estimated budget of $8.8 million for the current school year.

Court records show that Sherman was convicted of battery and retail theft, Mitchell of marijuana possession, and Coleman of illegal possession of a gun — all felonies.

Elected school district officials are barred from holding office if they are “convicted in any court in the state of Illinois or of the United States of a felony, bribery, perjury or other infamous crime.” Last year, a state appeals court upheld a decision to bar a Peoria man from running for a school board seat because he was convicted of a felony. He was convicted of theft in 1984.

“It’s clear-cut,” said Burt Odelson, a south suburban attorney who specializes in municipalities and school boards. “You can’t hold an elected school office if you’re convicted of a felony. I’ve been doing this for a long time. There is no wiggle room.”  http://www.suntimes.com/20132540-761/south-suburban-school-board-has-three-felons-on-it.html

This school district has 3 felons on the board while we have about 15 felons or more in the White House.