For the last four years, I’ve been digging into the questionable practices, policies and decisions in my local school district of Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

In doing so, I’ve connected with people in many other school districts who are also finding themselves drowning in what I call the Deep End of Public Education.

I’ve come to see public schools as a pool; the water’s shallow enough to walk in, the water is clear and you can see everything. Sadly, the reality of public education today is that there is a deep end that parents, students and even school staff don’t realize they’re wading into until it’s too late.

Parents live in a world like I did, assuming they can trust their child’s school, their teachers and administrators. Students go to school thinking it’s all about education as it’s implied in the institution’s existence. Teachers trust their employment is secure, as there’s always a need for more teachers and districts claim a focus on student excellence, necessitating teachers. 

Unfortunately, what I’ve found to be commonplace nowadays is parents are being left in the dark about aspects of their child’s education, behavior or environment at school.

Students are finding themselves pushed to the forefront of a culture war – and career teachers are hanging on for dear life, counting their days until retirement, or cutting their pensions short to retire early.

Public education has changed. 

School board candidate banned

In the small town of Cameron, Missouri, population around 8,000, the Cameron R-1 School Board is taking action in ways unexpected by a governmental body.

School board elections are heating up for the seven-person board, with three seats to be filled unless one incumbent can retain her seat. Board Member Ann Goodwin Clark has been on the Cameron School Board for 15 years, and is running for another three-year term.

Of the six other candidates, Dan Landi stands out, as this will be his third time running for a seat on the board. In recent years, Dan has caused friction for the Cameron Board, as he has participated regularly in public comments at monthly board meetings and has been outspoken within the community, calling out the district for questionable practices such as pornographic material in school libraries, threats to student safety and drug activity on district property, among other concerns.

Mr. Landi is a retired Missouri State Highway patrolman and U.S. Air Force veteran. He’s lived in Cameron School District for over 20 years, where his children attended public school – and actually was a substitute teacher there for all subjects and grades from 1999-2005.

Conflict is afoot in Cameron R-1 School District. Here’s an overview of the events that led up to Mr. Landi’s recent judgment: 

August 12, 2025: Cameron R-1 School District posted on social media regarding the district-wide open house the next day. 

August 13, 2025: Mr. Landi attended the district-wide open house at the high school wearing a visible bodycam, entering the front door of the main office, walking directly upstairs to the library to see what books are available to high school students.

A moment after entering the library, the high school librarian, Tonya O’Boyle greeted him, asking why he’s there. Mr. Landi states he is only there to look at the library books. She disappeared to seek assistance. A moment later, while Mr. Landi was looking at the shelf of graphic novels, Assistant Principal Derek Lannigan greeted him and both gentlemen had a respectful, calm conversation about Mr. Landi’s purpose in being there since he no longer has children in the district.

Mr. Landi said it’d previously been stated the open house would be a good time to review materials. Assistant Principal Lannigan said a separate time for book review would be more acceptable, suggesting that Friday. Both men parted ways and Mr. Landi walked directly out of the building to his vehicle. 

August 14, 2025: Assistant Principal Lannigan emailed Mr. Landi informing him that after speaking with Superintendent Dr. Matt Robinson, it was made clear that accommodation for him to enter the building and review the books cannot be made. Mr. Lannigan directed him to the public library to review the titles of concern. 

August 19, 2025: Mr. Landi attended the monthly school board meeting, utilizing public comment time to address the board regarding school curriculum. During his public comment, Board President Andi Lockridge interrupted his time, telling him to stay on topic.

Mr. Landi was speaking about sexually graphic books available in the school libraries that are considered under the umbrella of curriculum, as would be any other media format utilized in the education of children. Board President Lockridge disagreed that he was on the topic of curriculum.

Cameron School District police officers approached Mr. Landi at the podium and insisted he sit down. President Lockridge persisted that Mr. Landi was off topic, so she terminated his public comment time and Mr. Landi returned to his seat.

You are hereby served

On his way out of the building after the Aug. 19 board meeting, Mr. Landi was quietly and peacefully escorted by two Cameron School District police officers. Once outside the doors, one officer slipped an envelope out of his vest pocket and served it to Mr. Landi. It was a letter notifying Mr. Landi that he was now restricted from district property for two months, ending Oct. 18, 2025, for having worn a bodycam at the August open house and recording a video.

A second reason given for his ban was a comment he made on social media “comparing the Board of Education meeting room to “Ford’s Theatre.” The mention of Ford’s Theatre was actually by another commenter, and Mr. Landi says his response was simply alluding to how the school district is trying to attack his character. No clear threat was made.  

September 2, 2025: Cameron R-1 School District sent a letter to Mr. Landi stating that because of his “failure to speak to the agenda item at hand [during the August board meeting] after being redirected multiple times, which caused a disruption to the regular meeting of the board, [his] in-person attendance at Board of Education meetings, including Board committee meetings has been restricted until May 31, 2026.” During that period, he was restricted to watching the online streaming of the meetings. 

September 25, 2025 – Mr. Landi’s appeal hearing: The board president and vice president were not present, and former Board President Pam Ice led the meeting. Mr. Landi’s defense: 

• one-party consent law in Missouri, stating he’s allowed to record as long as he’s a part of the conversation, and school district policy cannot trump state law;
• despite the camera being visible, Cameron R-1 had no evidence that Mr. Landi had recorded anything, so their claim that he had was not backed by evidence of a recording;
• retaliation for his attempt to expose unethical and illegal practices;
• violation of First Amendment right of free speech during public comment at the August board meeting.

The hearing concluded with Mr. Landi being restricted from district property, save a few possible exceptions upon email communication with district administration. 

September 26: Cameron R-1 sent Mr. Landi a letter formally outlining his restrictions and stating that these restrictions would be reviewed at the January board meeting.  

December 9, 2025: Mr. Landi entered the central office building to file for school board candidacy, an exception stated in the Aug. 19 letter. During this visit, he again wore his bodycam, entered the building, submitted his paperwork, and on his way out, stopped at the door to the front office to ask if he could submit a sunshine request. He was immediately denied and exited the building. 

January 20, 2026: During the January board meeting, board members discussed Mr. Landi’s restrictions and voted 6-0 with Board President Lockridge abstaining, to extend Mr. Landi’s ban on district property until January 2027. 

Rival joins in banning candidate

In that most recent meeting on Tuesday, Board Member Ann Goodwin Clark participated in the vote to extend Mr. Landi’s restrictions.

As a sitting board member for 15 years and a candidate in opposition to Mr. Landi in the current school board races in Cameron, Ms. Clark’s decision to participate in the vote could appear as a form of election interference. What would happen if Mr. Landi were to win the election? How would a restriction to district property affect his ability to govern? 

Amazingly, at this same meeting, the school board added a last-minute agenda item, violating Revised Missouri statute 610.020, stating “notice shall be given at least twenty-four hours prior to the commencement of any meeting of a governmental body.” Any new items of business must be submitted for future consideration since the public was not given prior notice.

The new agenda item was consideration of a contract with a legal firm to take the place of the district’s custodian of records. Board members were informed by Board President Lockridge that the contract was just put in their board packet; board members took less than two minutes to review the information, then voted to contract with the legal firm.

The unethical and illegal practices by the Cameron R-1 School Board are alarming. What is one to make of a 15-year incumbent voting to ban her election opponent from district property?

This incident is one of many in recent years.

• In July 2023, Heath Gilbert, a district parent, sued the school district and the Board of Education alleging civil rights violations. The case is ongoing.
• On Sept. 17, 2025, Superintendent Matt Robinson submitted his letter of resignation set to go into effect in June.
• In November, after a contentious hearing, the Cameron School Board voted in closed session to terminate Ms. Rachel Barlow, a middle-school teacher with seven years of service in the Cameron School District and a clean disciplinary record following a complaint regarding a comment she made to a senior in her classroom. 

Cameron R-1 School District is 50 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri, and serves 1,495 students. State Assessment records show Cameron students are 44.5% proficient in mathematics and 49% proficient in English language arts.