Stacy Gray For Board Of Education

I truly thought this incident was put to rest.  Not only for my sake but for the family that was thrust into the middle of this mess.  I was told to go to the news with this.  I did not because I know this family did not want it in the spotlight, they wanted to keep peace in their neighborhood and they wanted to protect those they cared about.  I honored their wishes and did not go to the tv outlets.  I did write a blog post because I felt that people need to know what was going on and how it had gotten taken to a whole new level.  I apologize that I have to again address this but hope they understand I now need to get all of the facts out to clear my name and reputation.  The only way to prove a truth is with the facts.  I have a reputation to protect too.  Mr. Wilson comes across as a mousy man who was attacked by me for no reason.  I have also been physically sick as well; not so much for me but for the stress that this family has had to endure over a sign.  Isn’t our constitutional right to support who we choose?  Mr. Wilson was hostile and threatening that night.  I will not get into any more of the specifics of the victim’s statement because it is now in my attorney’s hands.  Think about this: if Mr. WIlson was so crushed by my blog post, why not just put it in the court’s hands?  Why put it in the paper to bring light to it again? To defend himself? No….isn’t he doing the same thing he is accusing me of doing?  The reason is just as I stated…it is to try to cast doubt in people’s minds and question MY character.  I am not the one confronting people over a sign! If he was a friend of the victim he would be considerate of the victim’s family and not drag them through this yet again.  Just because they didn’t press charges doesn’t mean it didn’t happen!

I think that the article ran in today’s GC Times was OK as far as reporting accurately.  It was as fair as could be considering they would need several pages to cover all of the relevant facts.  So, to be clear:

First and foremost- Ed Kiermeier is a lifelong friend of mine and my husband’s.  He was in our wedding.  The article is worded and can be misconstrued as me implying that he maliciously did something to me and I am targeting him.  To the contrary I am concerned that Ed is being put in a compromising position.  Why? Because Ed allowed us to put our sign in his yard and then it was almost immediately taken down.  My husband asked if he was given grief over the sign (as many other have been) and he said he was spoken to about it by a superior officer.  See text below.  I know Ed’s character and apologize if this was misleading.  The reporting officer  has the same last name as a person serving on the planning board and rec committee.  These people are all intertwined and it’s very concerning considering I was told in June by someone in their inner circle, “Be ready….they’re coming after you”.  I have been dealing with threats to many I care about for 5 months now!!!!!! You can go back to my previous posts that are dated and see all of the issues that I have dealt with along with all of the “powers that be” that I have reached out to, to try to make them “play fair”.

text about sign

1. I blogged accurately what was reported to me by victim’s daughter. Did I say Mr. WIlson choked or punched this man? NO!  Was it a, “friend’s fight”?  It was much more than that. (The biggest problem seems to be our difference of opinion on what constitutes a physical altercation) Mr. Berglund knows this too.  He was on speaker phone while I spoke to the victim’s daughter.  He was already called by another board member who told him, “Joe f-ed up”.  He apologized to me and the daughter and was meeting with Joe the next night.  He also left my husband a voicemail the next day asking him to call him so, “we could get things going positive again” and he’s trying to smooth this over. Yes, we have the voicemail and if I could post it here I would!

2.  Joe Wilson is approximately 6’3 and I am told he was a bouncer at the Eagle’s Nest so I am not sure who he is afraid of or why.  I am 5’6 and not a tiny thing but I hardly think Joe is afraid of me.  I have been fearful even before he approached this man due to the escalating behaviors the he has displayed. Note: this incident occurred on 10/17 and I don’t know that any bodily harm has come to him.

3. I have documentation from all parties (voicemails, texts, etc) that this event did indeed take place including an affidavit from the victim. It is not altogether consistent with the police narrative.

4.  Bottom line- He went to someone’s house over a sign!  What “friend” does that to another?  He did this 11 days after he put up his signs.  He  didn’t  ask to put one at this man’s home from Oct. 6-17.  His group’s signs are everywhere-at least 3-1 over mine. He states in the article, “he was shocked not to see his sign there”.  That makes no sense considering he put up the signs!

5.  This incident was known to everyone in the neighborhood the next day at bus stops and at school drop off.  I did not post my blog until the next night almost 24-hours later.  The article states accurately there were witnesses, neighbors that came out of their homes due to the commotion. Those people, I assume are the ones that were discussing it with others.  This is a tight-knit neighborhood and this kind of news spreads fast.  It was not my blog that caused this chain reaction, it was Mr. Wilson’s ACTIONS that night!!!

6. In the article he says he has asked for an injunction, I have no knowledge of this.  However, in the actual suit he states that he contacted me in writing and asked me to retract.  From my lips to God’s ears I have received no such communication.  The last correspondence from Mr. Wilson was the day after the incident.  He texted my husband and stated the victim said it was ok for him to put his sign next to mine.  We did not respond.  And yes, we still have that text too.  We actually texted him our condolences on his mother’s passing on Monday, October 15th.  This was something else that shocked me…everyone handles grief differently but I can’t imagine that if God forbid  my mother were to pass, the last thing I’d be doing in those following days is worrying about my opponents sign on anyone’s lawn…..sigh.

7. Mr. Berglund…..this is so confusing.  He and I spoke for over an hour the day before this happened.  He told me he loved my blog, he would want me on his campaign team, he wanted to tell Paul that he would love to have me on council (which I kindly and consistently declined-not interested). He told me he wished he talked to me sooner, he would have backed me and I had great ideas.  He told me the Democratic party is backing the guys.  He bet me lunch that the vice principal that the board approved isn’t happening.  When I asked how he knew this and why he is still so hands on when he’s not on the board anymore.  He said that Joe calls him for advice and he told him that another administrator couldn’t happen.  Why they didn’t go ahead and replace the teacher, I don’t know….another story.  We ended the call with him promising that he would talk to Joe and there wouldn’t be anymore shady moves or problems!  I don’t know how he can even comment in the paper and act like he didn’t know this was true.  He was on the phone with me the night it happened for about an hour promising me Joe would apologize.  I had the victim’s daughter on speaker phone and Butch on my husband’s speaker phone so she could tell him what happened.  I have the phone records. Rather than be accountable, they conspired a plan to file a lawsuit and publicize all of this 5 days before the election.  The reporter told me that she knew about the lawsuit before I was even notified because Butch called her and said, “I’m onto something” and told her I was going to get served.

To sum this up: I wanted to offer a new perspective to this board so I decided to throw my name in the ring.  I have canvassed neighborhoods, informed the community of the goings on (always with facts to back it up and if I make a mistake I have PUBLICLY admitted it and if need be, apologized for it), purchased and put up signs, sent out mailers, attended several meetings and workshops and worked very hard to get my name and message out there.  I have done this for my children and yours.  That’s it!  Rather than doing the same, my opponent has consistently went after people I care about in many ways.  You can criticize my methods but I would hope people can put themselves in my shoes.  I have taken great risks and a lot of hits, spent a lot of time and money for a volunteer position with hopes to make a difference.  If Mr. Wilson didn’t act the way he has and put his goals out there, I wouldn’t have anything to say but good for him.  If he is going to BULLY me I am going to call him on it.  As I have said time and again, RUN ON YOUR GOALS AND MERIT!!!!!  My posts have always been a reaction to his actions. Mr. Wilson could have had a blog, he could have knocked on doors or the like.  He didn’t.  Instead he has tried time and again to bully people into isolating me and prevent me from getting my message out there.  Would you put a sign in your yard after this incident?  Would you publicly support me if someone you love has a municipal or county job knowing their political connections?   It seems like voter intimidation to me!  Just know this…no one can find out who you voted for.  I will hold steadfast and see this to the end.  The haters will hate, as they say.  I will not address people who hide behind a screen name on the Deptford Forum.  For all I know it could be Joe or someone in that realm.  This blog very clearly states it serves as a journal of my experience.  I have no family working for the township or county.  I do not belong to a political club and I am not an Elk’s Club member.  I am a mommy and a teacher and I want to see this district move forward in a positive direction.  These last several days have been a diversionary tactic by my opponents.  I had to defend myself and put all of the facts out there.  I am not heartless or a liar.  I have integrity and will not just sit here and allow Mr. Wilson to slander my good name.  I am and have been suffering emotional stress and intimidation at the hands of Joe for months.  I am disgusted that I have to waste time and energy with this negativity.  What has Joe done to earn your vote?  If this is a sign of normal occurrences, it is no wonder our schools haven’t progressed the way we’d all like.  This is so far off from what this is about, it’s sad and frustrating.  I’d much rather debate education than do this.  I would be remiss if I did not point out that the article states that Joe is seeking re-election.  He was not elected to the board he was appointed.  Hopefully, these facts prove that I am not the deceitful party.  Those who were there know what happened and I reiterated what I was told that night.  So, with 5 days to go- decide if you are satisfied with the status quo or if you want change. 5 days to go! Feel free to share and enlighten the masses :) Thanks for the continued support!

UPDATE**** I could only upload one of the recordings as I have reached the media limit so here is the voicemail Mr. Berglund left my husband the morning after the incident. Still don’t know where he and Mr. Wilson got his cell phone number….hmmmm????

Voicemail from Mr. Berglund 10/18/12

And here is a link to a previous article in the GC Times in reference to the football team and a golf fundraiser.  Ironically, Mr. Wilson says the Parents’ Club attacked him, he was “shocked” and he said he was “sweating” from all the heat he was getting from the members of the club.“The Parents Club are the ones that had the problem with it,” said Wilson. “I don’t understand why.”  It’s eerily similar to the words he used in the article about me.  He is never the problem…everyone just attacks him it seems.

http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2012/08/deptford_high_school_football.html