Dear Dr. Demetrius Liggins, Superintendent for Fayette County Public Schools ...

Someone sent me this Facebook post of his, right after the Lexington Herald Leader reported he "wasn't taking" the superintendent job for a school system in Missouri after all - which, by the way, came only after he got in hot water over the budget.

(Is he "not taking" the Missouri job or did that final interview -  which we heard was more of an interrogation - let him know he wasn't top dog for the job anymore?)

Who knows - but he just posted this ... 

Now - understand that I haven't actually written this to him, but also understanding that he pings out for mentions of himself online, I'm hoping he will read this. If not, then I just feel better. 😂

Dear. Dr. Liggins,

When you first arrived, we were your biggest cheerleaders. We wanted you to succeed here, not only because you were a well-educated, intelligent, seemingly kind person, but because you were a black and LGBTQIA male in a Southern district. 

We were a bit concerned about the racism and bigotry that might come your way and were ready to support any backlash.

Unfortunately, you disappointed us - and the backlash is legitimate -  you legitimately made strange and extravagant budget and staffing decisions. 

At first, I, myself, wanted to believe it was racism and bigotry - but a time came when I could no longer deny it wasn't.

I'm not going to get into details of what I know for a fact, but it would appear that you care more about controlling your appearance instead of actually being that person.   

You accomplish this by addressing any press or social media post written about you, as well as surrounding yourself with dishonest cronies (most of them white MAGA people).   

Like it or not, you represent other black-male LGBTQIA people who want to succeed - and you're giving them a bad name.

 

And what do you mean by you only accept positivity?

Does that explain why the Budget Director was put on unexplained leave last summer, when she tried to tell you the budget was in trouble?

You blamed your staff for not telling you these things publicly in the paper - but she tried - and her attorney published those emails in the paper to prove it.

There's a difference between "negativity" and refusing to listen to a team member trying to tell you "we're in trouble."

You CANNOT just shoot messengers who give you bad news and keep unqualified "yes" men and women around you - that is exactly what created this mess.

Also, what then separates you from narcissistic leaders like Trump?

 

And as for lies - what lies?

Tell us what they are versus truth then, address them?

And are we all supposed to forget you tried to run to Missouri and when they interrogated you over this, alerted the papers you were staying and in it to win it?

Come on, man - you can do better than this.

You don't have to play the corrupt white straight male game to win, in your position - so why DO you?

Don't you know that racists and bigots are waiting for this, ignoring cronyism, cheating, and corruption when white men do it, but they are always looking for it in men like you?  

 

By the way, there's a reason why the people supporting you at central office are mostly-white MAGA people - and it's not a good one. 

(Here's a hint, Uncle Tom - it may have to do with your corrupt/cronyism MAGA-style actions benefitting them personally, but make no mistake - they'll never fully accept you or anyone from your demographic fully nor vote your way overall in politics. At most, they will consider you an "exception to the rule" and use you, so long as you protect THEM.)

         

DO BETTER ... please?

Our kids deserve better!

Unfortunately, many people of color and LGBTQ who don't work for Central Office believe this is a racism and bigotry thing.

It isn't - and people of color and LGBTQIA working at Central Office will be the first ones to tell you that.

In fact, they say things like "He's giving us a bad name, when we don't need any more bad names."

Sad situation.

___________________________________

PS - Should you also want to shoot my family member still working there over my message here, you may want to consider the following: 

In the unlikely event that happens, we can always revisit the issue of how medical accommodations for stroke were repeatedly ignored   😉

Plus it's not just us. In fact, we're not even on FB.

Which means someone else sent this to us, touting your arrogance and absolute denial - and by the way, it was a person of color.

Also, though I am admittedly growing tired of giving the same benefit of the doubt for others I would like for myself - especially people who have already proven they don't deserve it repeatedly -  I will not stop doing do overall. (I'll just do it sooner when proof is staring at me right in the face.)

I will also never stop supporting anti-racism and anti-bigotry, despite the antics of people like you. 

Because bad apples like you exist in every demographic - they don't spoil the group overall - and there are some GREAT apples in your demographic, the best people I know.

It's just a shame most of the ones who make it into any sort of power ARE the bad apples who abuse their power, black, white, purple, gay or straight, Christian or not.

Which only proves, I guess, that those most deserving of the golden ring and who can be trusted with it rarely get it.

Regardless, I refuse to believe you are a bad apples overall - so remember or find the integrity within yourself to turn this ship around before we go under - please?