A school district in Missouri persists in avoiding questions about the eligibility of a controversial school board member to serve in elected office. 

For the last month, the St. Joseph School District (SJSD) has dodged inquiries about whether school board member Whitney Lanning still fulfills the residential requirements to serve as a board member after she sold her house. 

Lanning, 40, gained media attention in 2024 for a viral video showing her verbally and profanely assaulting a fellow board member. She eventually pleaded guilty to harassment and was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to attend anger management courses.  

 Lanning has since sold her house in the district and subsequently refused to address her current residency, even as questions surrounding where she is living and working have swirled.    

Insiders with knowledge of the situation told The Heartlander one member of the board attempted to raise the question again at a recent SJSD meeting. The question was shut down by school board President LaTonya Williams, as seen in a video of the meeting. 

https://www.youtube.com/live/1SgfBZz-mYg?app=desktop&si=fT7TJLXAlX2P6Na8&t=7560 

Board member Kim Miller began to ask for more transparency regarding Lanning in her position as an elected official.  

“Part of that, what you’re talking about, is transparency among us, and I know there’s some tough issues. One, Whitney, there are questions surrounding you that I would like answered as an elected official,” said Miller.  

Williams cut her off immediately, saying, “I’m going to interrupt you right now.”   

When Miller attempted to continue, Williams added, “No, listen. I’m going to interrupt you right now.”  

An official transcript of the meeting on SJSD’s YouTube page shows Williams saying the district met with the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA) and was advised that any information about Lanning that Miller was seeking was not allowed to be discussed by board members in session.  

“As we met with MSBA last week, we were told it is not a board matter and we will not discuss this as a board,” added Williams, according to the YouTube transcript. 

However, the audio was garbled during the exchange, so The Heartlander attempted to contact the board, including Williams, Lanning and SJSD Superintendent Dr. Ashly McGinnis.  

The Heartlander was seeking only to verify to whom Williams was referring when she got the advice not to discuss the matter as a board. 

Williams replied about 15 minutes later to The Heartlander’s email request, refusing to discuss the matter, and instead hurling insults.  

Last year, both Williams and Lanning took heat for a foul-mouthed exchange on Facebook with a voter, replete with F-bombs from the two school board members.  

In the latest volley, both Williams and Lanning were not profane, but still combative and equally non-responsive.  

Lanning also replied to the email.  

She accused The Heartlander of writing to “smear” public school advocates, mentioning articles published previously about the drunk driving arrest of the former SJSD superintendent; the misuse of school district funds for illegal electioneering; the guilty plea of Lanning for harassment; and other controversies.  

“It was hard to hear last night,” Lanning wrote in her email to The Heartlander, “but I clearly heard Ms. Miller trying to apologize to me.”

Superintendent McGinnis declinedto comment on the record to the Heartlander’s request.