Political pundit George Brauchler would have us believe that requesting the names of Douglas County Schools teachers who called out on February 3rd so that parents could confront (his word) them is a benign gesture. We know the subliminal and literal meaning of that word implies intimidation when used in a person-to-person context. With recent threats of violence against local school boards and education leaders, we have seen how intimidation leads to threats of violence. Thus, this gesture becomes reckless and injudicious.

Now that there has been deserved pushback on social media toward Mr. Brauchler about his initial statement on why those names should be released, he is lashing out at the people who reported and commented on it.

Backpedaling, making excuses, and blaming others for our actions are things we teach our children not to do.

Call it what you will, but doxxing, by any other name, would smell as sour.

Kathryn Holland, Littleton

Here we go again with DCSD

As a longtime educator, 51 years, I was again amazed when a partisan group took over the school board and fired the superintendent without cause. I was in Castle Rock in 2009 when another partisan group took control to make Douglas County a World Class School District. They might have succeeded if they had explained what that meant.

That school board had no salary schedule like other school districts, but had bands in which they put different classes. Teachers were no longer professional, but treated like factory workers. Their pay fell to $17,000 less than Cherry Creek. Teachers soon left for other districts. The school board tried for a voucher system, but got shot down in the courts because it is unconstitutional to use public money for private schools.

All over the United States, school boards, mayoral and governorship races are seeing outside money coming in to support partisan groups.

I hope that the new Douglas County School Board is wise enough to understand that breaking laws, having no public comments, and firing a superintendent of schools who has a fine reputation as a longtime teacher and superintendent is no way to start their work in making our district a great school district. Their actions are going to cost the Douglas County School District hundreds of thousands of dollars which should be spent on our children’s education.

Derald E. Hoffman, Highlands Ranch