April Kay Smith, Germantown Kindergarten Teacher - Vandalism

UPDATE, December 23, 2014: Kindergarten teacher who went on rampage against Walker signs to return to class
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April Kay Smith, 38, is a kindergarten teacher in the Germantown School District.

The public school teacher is accused of vandalizing the Jefferson County Republican Party booth at the Jefferson County Fair.

From M.D. Kittle, Wisconsin Reporter:

April Kay Smith, 38, a kindergarten teacher in the Germantown School District, was issued a disorderly conduct citation for tearing up and stomping on several signs on July 9 at the Jefferson County Republican Party booth after the fair had shut down for the night, according to a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department report obtained by Wisconsin Reporter.

The incident report, filed by Jefferson County Deputy Heather Larson, states that Smith and her husband, Andrew Smith, 31, originally lied to the officer, despite the fact that a witness, Roxane Stillman, 62, of rural Madison, reported seeing Smith destroy the signs. Stillman, in a July 23 story, told Wisconsin Reporter she followed the suspect around the fairgrounds for more than a half hour, calling out for a police officer.

“… (April Smith) confessed to damaging and ripping out the signs. She stated her husband told her to lie and that she’s just so angry with (Gov) Scott Walker due to the fact that she was a school teacher,” the deputy wrote in the incident report.

So public school teacher April Smith admits to disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer.

What a role model!

I would not want my child to be in her class. I would not want my little kindergartener to be in the care of someone like April Smith.

...The Jefferson County GOP first made the matter public on conservative talk show host Vicki McKenna’s show a few days after the incident.

Stillman said she and her friend were enjoying some kettle corn on a bench across from the Jefferson County Republican Party booth when she said she saw a young woman who looked to be in her late 20s or early 30s at the booth. She said the woman squatted down, like she was relieving herself, and then began smashing up the signs.

Stillman called out to the woman, telling her to wait, that she was going to call the police. The woman started walking away — then she started running, Stillman said.

“I said, ‘Honey, I’m good for about five miles. If you want to run, that’s OK. I’ll stay with you,’” Stillman said. “When she realized she wasn’t going to outrun me she started walking fast all over the fairgrounds trying to ditch me. Everywhere we walked, I yelled out, “Someone get the police! This lady damaged property.”

Stillman claims that, at one point in the chase, the woman grabbed her arm, squeezed it hard and said, “You must like the Koch brothers!”

When Larson arrived at the scene, the deputy asked Smith about Stillman’s allegations, according to the incident report. Smith told the deputy she had “no idea” what the witness was talking about, the deputy reported.

...“I advised her again that I believe she was being untruthful and asked her how she would feel if one of her students lied to her,” Larson wrote in the report. “At this time, she confessed to damaging and ripping out the signs.

...An official from the Germantown School District told Wisconsin Reporter early Monday that the district will be conducting an internal investigation into the matter and will release a statement at a later time.

April Smith is not fit to teach young children. I don't see how the Germantown School District could permit her to remain in her current position.

The woman admitted to destroying property. She obviously was aware that she was in public and committing vandalism. She knew she was making a very public statement via her actions. Then, she lied about it.

"Koch brothers" -- good grief!

I would hope the parents of the students assigned to April Smith's class for the upcoming school year would demand a different teacher for their little ones.

Smith doesn't appear stable enough to be entrusted with teaching kindergarten. The woman lacks character.

Do Germantown taxpayers really want to keep this woman on their payroll?

I suspect the Germantown School District plans to do little more than give April Smith a slap on the wrist, UNLESS parents and taxpayers strongly object.

In any event, I'm sure this incident won't mean the end of April Smith's teaching career. I think the Milwaukee Public Schools would gladly employ someone like April Smith.

Roxane Stillman deserves a lot of credit for her effort to hold April Smith accountable. She is a good role model.
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UPDATE: April Smith's outburst has gone national.

Funny. Searches of Milwaukee news media sites reveal no coverage of the Scott Walker-hating public school teacher.

That would not be the case if someone vandalized the Democrat Party booth. Guaranteed.