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Nicolet School Board candidate Andrew Cegielski is refusing a request by district officials to take down campaign signs that showcase the high school logo.
District Administrator Rick Monroe said having campaign materials with the school's logo can be confusing and could lead some to believe that Nicolet is endorsing Cegielski, one of three candidates running for two seats on the board in the April 5 election.
School Board members Kelly Herda and Marilyn Franklin first addressed Cegielski at a special board meeting last week, advising him that he cannot use the school's logo. Monroe then sent him a letter that made the same point.
Monroe told him to remove all signs with the logo by Monday.
However, Cegielski sent out a reply Monday morning explaining that he has consulted with an attorney and believes he is within his right to have his signs posted as they are.
"As a former chief elections inspector for the City of Waukesha, I assure you that I'm familiar with election law, and the application there of," he wrote. "I'm well aware of the statue you cite. My signs in no way implies school district endorsement; in the same way that (candidate) Joe Kassle's use of the word "Nicolet" on his yard signs don't imply endorsement."
Further in his letter to Monroe, Cegielski requests that he be provided the statute numbers that apply to his violation of misrepresentation, in addition to the Nicolet school policy stating he cannot use the logo.
"I take your letter very seriously," Cegielski wrote. "I do feel I am well within my rights of political free speech, but I'm still willing to work with you in resolving this issue."
Cegielski could not be reached for further comment.
acm
1:30 pm on Monday, March 28, 2011
Give the voters credit for some intelligence about this.
I think the logo is a great idea to remind people to actually vote, and that this guy is running for the high school board. If all the candidates had the logo or the word "Nicolet" on their signs, are we supposed to infer that the school board endorsed all the candidates???
Do you really think that all the voters even know that the logo belongs to the high school? I just showed the logo to my 90 year old mother --who votes regularly. She had no idea what it was. She thought it was a cartoon character! There are alot more regular voters just like her.............
wjm
5:51 pm on Monday, March 28, 2011
"As a former chief elections inspector for the City of Waukesha, I assure you that I'm familiar with election law, and the application there of," he wrote. "I'm well aware of the statue you cite. My signs in no way implies school district endorsement; in the same way that (candidate) Joe Kassle's use of the word "Nicolet" on his yard signs don't imply endorsement."
It is troubling that a possible school board member seems to have such a shaky command of grammar.
There is a difference between a statue and statute. In addition there are two subject verb agreement errors in his statement and Mr. Cegielski misspells the name of his opponent. This lack of attention to detail should send up a red flag. Can he be trusted to represent the interests of the Nicolet community?
art friedman
9:45 pm on Thursday, March 31, 2011
THEY TRIED TO LYNCH THIS CANDIDATE IN A PUBLIC FORUM. THE ARROGANCE OF THE BOARD IS BEYOND ALL REASON. THEY MUST THINK THEY ARE ENTITLED TO OWN THEIR OFFICES. AT THE LAST FORUM THEY SPENT AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME GOING AFTER A FELLOW WHO COMES FROM THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT WHO IS NOT PART OF THE ESTABLISHMENT. SEND A MESSAGE AND GIVE HIM YOUR VOTE!
Pez Boy
12:09 pm on Friday, April 1, 2011
Be wary of a candidate who usurps the intellectual property of the district he seeks to represent for his own political purpose; decries others who use the word "Nicolet" in their signs as equally culpable; and drafts a response so riddled with spelling and grammatical errors that it becomes apparent he couldn't have graduated from the school upon whose board he seeks to sit.
Thomas J. Van Dalen
12:47 pm on Friday, April 1, 2011
Yes