ALGONQUIN – Community Unit School District 300 School Board Candidate Kristina Konstanty filed a fake police report against an LGBTQ+ District 300 teacher. The false claim was filed after the openly gay, District 300 teacher, Lisa Kopetsky, made comments at a school board meeting supporting LGBTQ+ students and the district’s LGBTQ+ club, known as SWANS club, an acronym for “students who are not silent.”
“I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve had to go through.That’s the only reason I’m sharing my story,” Kopetsky said. “I’m a product of District 300 schools. I graduated from Jacobs High School. My children go to school here. I teach here. I love our schools and our community. But if I can be singled out and harassed because of my sexual orientation, so can our students. This is absolutely unacceptable. We have to do better.”
“Our school board is elected to stand by all of our students, lift them up, and make sure they have the best education possible. School board members must protect our kids from bigotry, not espouse it. We don’t, can’t, and shouldn’t elect candidates who can’t agree to uplift and protect all of our students.” Local Education Association District 300 (LEAD300) President Mike Williamson said.
The timeline of events is as follows:
- In October, at a District 300 school board meeting, Konstanty uses fear and division to voice her concerns about the SWANS club and its true intent (Konstanty begins at 27:41).
- On Nov. 15, Kopetsky spoke at a school board meeting (Kopetsky starts at 42:36) defending LGBTQ+ students, staff and the SWANS club.
- Then on Nov. 28, Konstanty tried to attend an LGBTQ+ meeting and is denied entrance.
- On Nov. 30, Konstanty filed a police report with the Algonquin Police Department (APD) saying Kopetsky drove by her and spit on her as she was standing outside the building. Konstanty alleged the incident happened on school district property on Nov. 28 while the LGBTQ+ meeting was happening inside a district building. In the days following the false report, District 300 administrators pulled security camera footage and found Konstanty’s claims to be entirely fabricated. The video shows Kopetsky’s car windows are rolled up. It also shows Konstanty sticking up both of her middle fingers at Kopetsky as she drives away.
- On Dec. 9, APD closes the case after determining Konstanty’s claims were false.
“Konstanty didn’t just file a fake police report against me. She’s gone after me online, harassing me through posts on social media. My phone won’t stop ringing with spam phone calls. My email inbox is overflowing. She’s doxing me. I’m worried about my safety and my family’s safety” Kopetsky said. “We need to do more to protect our educators. I totally understand why people leave the teaching profession. We have to do more, so we can save others from going through this nightmare.”
Shortly after APD closed Konstanty’s false report, she announced her candidacy for school board. Then, at the Jan. 10 school board meeting, Konstanty was openly campaigning for her school board candidacy, which is against Illinois Election Code. The district noted her behavior was “confrontational, disrespectful and abusive” in a No Trespass Notification letter sent to Konstanty. The letter also noted Konstanty is no longer allowed on District 300 property.
The No Trespass Notification issued to Konstanty states, “Community Unit School District 300 has determined that your actions have impeded, interfered with and disrupted the performance of staff duties and the pursuit of educational activities by students.”
“She can’t even enter district property without receiving prior approval, but she’s running for school board? It should be abundantly clear to anyone looking over this timeline of events to see that Kristina Konstanty is not someone who is remotely qualified to serve our public schools,” Williamson said.
Here you can find the false police report that was filed with APD, security camera footage exonerating Kopetsy and the No Trespass Notification letter from District 300.
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