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By Anthony Cody.

A New Mexico mother of four has been targeted by conservative political leaders unhappy with her education activism on Facebook and in her community. Kathy Korte serves on the Albuquerque school board, and is active in a grassroots organization called Stand4KidsNM, which has an active Facebook page here, and a website here. The group has been active for the past year, and in October of last year rallied a thousand parents, students and teachers in Albuquerque to support public education. Political leaders from across the spectrum were invited, but the ones who chose to attend were Democrats Gary King and Linda Lopez.

This activism apparently did not sit well with some leaders in New Mexico, and two months ago, a Republican lawmaker named Monica Youngblood filed an official complaint asserting that Kathy Korte and Stand4KidsNM were:

 …in violation of state law for operating as a political committee without registering as such, and failing to file the proper finance reports, as required by state law.

According to this column by Thomas Cole of the Albuquerque Journal, however, the political activism described in the complaint is nothing that would require registration as a political committee. He writes:

The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly held that only organizations whose major purpose is the election or defeat of a candidate can be forced to register with the government and disclose their financial supporters.

Government-compelled disclosure by groups that don’t meet that definition “can seriously infringe on privacy of association and belief guaranteed by the First Amendment,” the Supreme Court has said.

Forced disclosure also “may create a disincentive for such organizations to engage in political speech,” the court has said.

So this complaint is really just a nuisance. But this is not the only effort to silence Korte. A nationally known GOP “opposition researcher” by the name of Tim Killeen put in a request in August for disclosure of “any and all emails and letters sent to APS board member Kathy Korte that discusses or mentions Stand4KidsNM.”

Korte’s activities fall clearly in the realm of free speech and free association that is protected by the US Constitution. It is apparent that she has been made a target by politically powerful people, who have managed to cost her the job her family relies on.

But the story will not end here. Korte has responded to the charge that she has violated state laws, and if there is any justice at all, this will be dismissed. She recently told the Santa Fe New Mexican,

As a public official representing teachers, parents and citizens, and as a mother of four children impacted by public school policies, I have a right to speak my mind and I have a right to do it on FB [Facebook] and Twitter. I don’t deserve to be intimidated and harassed and my good character attacked by all these political hit women and hit men.

Those of us who are similarly active in social media should be aware of the tactics now being used to attempt to silence dissent. Meanwhile, these efforts to intimidate Kathy Korte have brought new support to the movement to defend public education in New Mexico.

What do you think? How would you respond if an elected official charged you with illegal political activities?

 

Author

Anthony Cody

Anthony Cody worked in the high poverty schools of Oakland, California, for 24 years, 18 of them as a middle school science teacher. He was one of the organizers of the Save Our Schools March in Washington, DC in 2011 and he is a founding member of The Network for Public Education. A graduate of UC Berkeley and San Jose State University, he now lives in Mendocino County, California.

Comments

  1. John Simms    

    She is clearly aquiring some powerful enemies with weak political philosophies. They tried ignoring her. Now they attack her. Next she’ll win.

  2. Ruth D'Eredita    

    This is exactly what is happening–in some cases, word for word–to the parent-activists of Williamson Strong in our school district here in Williamson County, Tennessee. We have a school board member named Susan Curlee who has filed a similar information request and complaint against our parent group. I know this kind of intimidation will not succeed, but it is terrible that advocate-moms have to put up with this kind of bullying. Let’s stick together: connect with Williamson Strong on facebook and let’s keep in touch.

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