By CHRISTIE

MASTRIC

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — The Marquette County Election Commission will meet at noon Sept. 1 in the Henry A. Skewis Courtroom Annex to conduct a hearing and rule on the clarity and factuality of recall language filed against several members of the Marquette Area Public Schools Board of Education who recently voted to retire the Marquette Senior High School nicknames of Redmen and Redettes.

According to Marquette County Clerk Linda Talsma, Jeremy Beerman of Marquette has filed the recall against trustees Jennifer Klipp and Jennifer Ray.

Klipp and Ray, along with board Vice President Glenn Sarka and Trustee Cheryl Maddox-Smith, at the July 17 board meeting voted to retire the nicknames.

Talsma said Sarka is not included in the recall because he will finish his term in December 2024. Maddox-Smith is not included because she has not yet been in office for a year, a requirement for an official to be recalled.

Voting to keep the nicknames were President Kristen Cambensy, Secretary-Treasurer James Hewitt and Trustee Jason Zdunek.

In 2019, the MSHS Nickname Research Committee recommended that MAPS discontinue the long-standing nicknames after exploring whether they created an adverse learning environment for students and if they were culturally insensitive.

The issue caused a deep division in the community, with the school board finally taking a vote at the July board meeting.

The meeting will be in the ground floor of the annex in Marquette.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.