EDITOR’S NOTE: This story first appeared in The News on Dec. 15. We are rerunning an edited version of the story in its entirety because, because of an editing error, information contained in the Dec. 15 version about the reasons for the recall was incorrect. That information is corrected here.

ROGERS CITY — The recall effort against three Onaway Area Schools board members moved to the next stage as the Presque Isle County Election Committee voted two-to-one to approve the language in the recall petitions, saying the information in the petitions makes a claim and that those claims are both factual and clear.

A hearing on the recall petition language was held in Rogers City on Dec. 14 and, now, backers of the recall effort can begin collecting signatures to remove school board President James Rieger, Vice President Erin Chaskey, and Trustee John Palmer.

Onaway resident Stacy Porter, who filed the recall petitions, listed several accusations that she believes are grounds for recall.

Some of the accusations listed in the petitions include:

∫ Rieger allegedly violated Board Policy 2302 B(2), which states that a board member will not act in isolation, operating as if a “board of one,” by sending Thrun Law Firm notice on Sept. 1 that, as of Sept. 30, the law firm’s services would no longer be needed and reinstating Thrun Law Firm on Oct. 2 without board approval.

∫ Chaskey allegedly was named in a grievance filed by an Onaway teacher over negative comments made to the teacher during an open meeting on Sept. 20.

∫ Palmer allegedly made the comment, “If this is your preference, good for you. It doesn’t belong here. Keep it at home,” in reference to the LGBTQ+ community.

Presque Isle County’s Election Committee consists of Presque Isle County Treasurer Bridget LaLonde, county Probate Judge Erik Stone, and county Clerk Ann Marie Main.

Residents from Onaway, Cheboygan, and elsewhere attended the hearing, including Porter and Rieger.

Those in attendance for the hearing were given time to address the committee about whether or not they believed the petition’s language was factual and clear.

At multiple points in the meeting, Stone reiterated to those in attendance that the committee was only looking at whether the language in the petition was making a claim and that the claim was both factual and clear.

“This commission does not determine the truth of the allegations,” Stone said. “The allegations may be true or false. The commission does not have the structure or the resources or the procedural authority to investigate, to swear witnesses, or to subpoena to determine if the allegations are true or not.”

Once public comments concluded, the committee voted on each petition separately. In all three votes, the committee voted 2-1 that the language in the petitions was factual and clear, with Stone and LaLonde voting in favor of all three and Main voting against all three.

Despite Main voting against the petition’s language being factual and clear, she said she has no issue with how the other committee members voted.

“I voted the way I thought was right,” said Main. “I don’t disagree with the other members.”

According to Main, now that the language of the petitions has been approved by the committee, Porter must obtain 708 signatures on each petition within a limited amount of time to trigger a special election for the board seats.

Porter acknowledged that it will be difficult, but said she is determined to see this process through.

“This stage was stressful, but I think the signatures is going to be, the more stressful,” Porter said. “My work isn’t done. The reason that I did the recalls in the first place is because (the board members) won’t hold each other accountable. Someone’s gotta hold them accountable.”

According to Main, recall elections are only held in May or November, meaning that the date of the election would be entirely dependent on when Porter collected the necessary number of signatures.

“Recall elections are only held on May or November ballots,” said Main. “So, if it was in a timeline that they got before the deadline for May elections to be held, then it could be a special election in May. If not, it would go to the November.”

In addition to Rieger, Chasky, Palmer, Porter also filed a recall petition against Onaway Board of Education Trustee Lorrie Kowalski.

Among the complaints launched against Kowalski is the claim that she is named in a grievance filed by a current Onaway teacher because she said “we are not getting the best qualified” during a public meeting on Sept. 20.

The clarity hearing for the recall petition against Kowalski happened in Cheboygan on Monday. The language in that petition was found to be factual and clear in a two-to-one vote.

Rieger and Kowalski’s term on the board ends on Dec. 31, 2024. Palmer’s ends on Dec. 31, 2026. Chaskey’s ends on Dec. 31, 2028.