Dist. 158 president calls global warming, diversity propaganda

After calling global warming "one of the biggest propaganda campaigns" in American history and a diversity club "a slippery slope," Huntley's school board president was outvoted Thursday in an attempt to block funding for recycling and diversity clubs in the district.

The Huntley Unit District 158 school board ultimately voted to approve funding that would pay teachers a stipend to coordinate several clubs in the district, including the recycling and diversity clubs.

But board President Shawn Green first tried to amend the proposal to deny funding from the positions that would oversee the two clubs.

"I personally believe both of these items are examples of wolves in sheep's clothing," Green said.

The board president said the recycling club was "part of a big-picture indoctrination program," while "imposing tolerance has served as a way to indoctrinate students across this country into feeling guilty" for disagreeing with certain behaviors.

The board president flatly denied humans were responsible for climate change.

"Anything that's going on with the climate is going on by natural processes," Green said. "The science isn't there to show it's man-caused."

Green also suggested the diversity club could lead students to accept behavior like spousal abuse simply because it may be widespread in other cultures.

"That's an extreme example … but that's a slippery slope this kind of thing leads to," Green said.

Board member Kim Skaja said she completely disagreed with Green.

"It doesn't say you have to accept their beliefs," she said. "It says you see people as people."

Green's amendment failed, garnering only two votes -- Green's and Larry Snow's.

"I'm not sure taxpayers should pay the stipend," Snow said, but he added he had no issues with the clubs themselves.

Green and Snow noted the irony of the pair voting together despite a history of strained relations, even with an apparent warming in board member relations in recent weeks.

"We got hosed by the board majority again," Green said, referring to Snow's frequent references to the fact that Snow often gets outvoted by the "board majority."

"I have been on my good behavior," Snow replied.