Staff Reports
Chauntyll Allen, the Clerk of the Saint Paul Public Schools Board of Education, sparked a national uproar this week after a social‑media post she made about “White Christian cemeteries” went viral. Reporters and conservative channels circulated a screenshot from a Facebook group in which Allen suggested turning such cemeteries into dog parks and urged people to “piss on the White corpses.” For a public official who helps run a school district, that kind of language is beyond tone‑deaf — it’s toxic.
The post that set off the firestorm
The comment first showed up in a Facebook thread about a local dog‑park dispute and was quickly screenshotted and amplified online. Conservative outlets and watchdog groups ran the screenshot this week, and the backlash was immediate. Saint Paul Public Schools has said it is “following applicable policies” and declined to comment on pending legal matters. That nonanswer is exactly why parents and taxpayers are demanding more than a press‑release line from the district.
Context matters — but it doesn’t excuse it
This isn’t happening in a vacuum. The remark landed amid a controversy over the Minnehaha Off‑Leash Dog Park, which officials closed amid concerns the site may be a Dakota sacred place. Allen’s post tried to frame the debate as a culture war, but it did so by advocating desecration of graves based on religion and race — and that crosses a line. It’s also worth remembering Allen is already facing federal charges tied to a disruptive protest at Cities Church earlier this year. That record raises real questions about judgment and fitness to hold elected office.
What officials should do next
Silence or bland boilerplate from the school district will not cut it. There should be a clear ethics review and an independent look at whether a public official who uses that kind of rhetoric can responsibly serve on a school board. Watchdog groups have called for removal before. If the district wants credibility, it will open a formal inquiry, tell parents what the process is, and act quickly. Anything less looks like cowardice or complicity.
Bottom line: elected school‑board members are not private influencers. They answer to parents, students, and taxpayers. Chauntyll Allen’s post — as reported — is a reminder that who sits on a school board matters. Voters should demand accountability, and the district should stop hiding behind legal‑speak and start delivering real answers. After all, school boards are supposed to protect kids, not troll the public with hateful ideas.
