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Tag: Natalie Blasingame

  • Progressives Pick Up All 3 Cy-Fair ISD Trustee Seats – Houston Press

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    Lesley Guilmart, Cleveland Lane Jr. and Kendra Camarena — a slate of pro-public education candidates who support the separation of church and state in public schools — were elected to the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD school board on Tuesday, sending a strong message that residents of the third-largest district in Texas are rejecting far-right ideology in the classroom. 

    The victory means that incumbents Natalie Blasingame and Scott Henry, the current board president, won’t be returning to the dais. Other hopefuls defeated in Tuesday’s race include Radele Walker, George Edwards Jr. and Elecia Jones. Terrance Edmond, who was on the ballot for Position 5, but dropped out of the race shortly after filing, still received 9,554 votes. 

    Candidates do not need to win more than 50 percent of the vote to declare victory in this race; the win goes to the candidate with the most votes, and a runoff is not a possibility. 

    With all 600 precincts reporting at 6 a.m. Wednesday, the following results were posted: 

    Position 5

    Lesley Guilmart: 31,576 votes (50.89 percent)

    Radele Walker: 20,922 votes (33.72 percent)

    Terrance Edmond: 9,554 votes (15.4 percent)

    Position 6

    Cleveland Lane Jr.: 28,082 votes (44.79 percent)

    Natalie Blasingame: 21,470 votes (34.25 percent)

    Scott Henry: 13,141 votes (20.96 percent)

    Position 7

    Kendra Camarena: 30,446 votes (49.01 percent)

    George Edwards Jr.: 23,655 votes (38.08 percent)

    Elecia Jones: 8,019 votes (12.91 percent)

    Guilmart, who secured victory for the Position 5 seat with 50.89 percent of the vote, said she was “deeply grateful and full of hope.”

    “Our community came together across lines of difference, across the political spectrum, to do what’s best for students,” she said in a text message around 6 a.m. Wednesday. “There’s hard work ahead, and we will need folks to continue paying attention, to share their input and to help us get our school district back on track. But for today, let’s celebrate this incredible win for Cy-Fair ISD!” 

    Lane and Camarena could not be reached for comment early Wednesday morning. 

    The winners are all parents of currently enrolled Cy-Fair students and have backgrounds in education. Guilmart is a former CFISD teacher and instructional leader for the Harris County Department of Education. She is president of the nonprofit Cypress Families for Public Schools. 

    Lane is an associate professor at Prairie View A&M University, where he trains future science educators and health professionals. Camarena is a former educator who leads economic development and partnerships in the office of Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones. 

    All three have voted in Democratic primaries but say they are committed to leaving politics out of the boardroom, as dictated by state law. School board positions are nonpartisan and unpaid. 

    The race was already contentious before any candidates had filed, as parents and teachers began sounding the alarm about changes to curriculum, specifically removing references to vaccines and climate change. Blasingame led that charge and also supported book bans and having chaplains on school campuses. 

    She said prior to getting elected in 2021 — her third attempt — that she was called by God to promote the Christian nationalist Seven Mountains mission. 

    Back in 2021, Blasingame ran on a conservative slate with Henry and Lucas Scanlon, but those friendships grew sour, and it later became public that she’d secretly recorded conversations with Scanlon’s wife. Blasingame’s close friend Damon “Bam” Lenahan threatened to release the tapes if Bethany Scanlon didn’t take down a Facebook post supporting Henry in the school board race. 

    The Cy-Fair ISD board adopted a policy in September prohibiting board members from recording district administrators, community members or each other without the consent of all involved parties. 

    It appeared that the trust among board members and with the public was so fractured that the Harris County Republican Party might revoke its endorsement of Blasingame. Precinct chair Judi DeHaan proposed rescinding the endorsement but withdrew the motion when it became clear she didn’t have the support of the party. 

    Blasingame, Walker and Edwards were also endorsed by Glorious Way Church, where several members also hold positions with the Harris County GOP. 

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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    April Towery

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  • Charlie Kirk Photos Included in a Cy-Fair ISD Candidates Mailer – Houston Press

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    Aren’t school board elections supposed to be nonpartisan?

    That’s the question some Cypress-Fairbanks ISD residents asked when they got postcards in their mailboxes on Thursday featuring a photo of conservative Christian activist and Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk, who was murdered last month at a Utah college campus.

    “Keep crazy out of our schools!” the mailer states above the following bullet points:

    • Nationwide violence has escalated on the left, to the point of political assassinations.
    • It is the result of the leftist and Marxist takeover of our schools.
    • It is years and years of indoctrinating our kids to accept and normalize radical ideas. 
    • If you wouldn’t vote for a Democrat at state and national elections, why do it locally? 

    It’s an advertisement for incumbent Natalie Blasingame, former board member George Edwards Jr. and retired CFISD administrator Radele Walker, “the only candidates in this race endorsed by the Harris County GOP.” 

    This mailer was distributed to Cy-Fair ISD voters this week. Credit: Screenshot

    The mailpiece was paid for by the CyFair4Liberty Political Action Committee, led by Bill Ely. 

    Ely did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday mornin, nor did the slate of Republican candidates. 

    But those supporting challengers Lesley Guilmart, Cleveland Lane Jr. and Kendra Camarena, all of whom have voted in a Democratic primary but are identifying themselves as a “pro-public education” slate, had plenty to say. 

    “What does Charlie Kirk have to do with a school board election and why are they implying their opponents have something to do with it?” said Odus Evbagharu, a Cy-Fair ISD graduate and Democratic candidate for Texas House of Representatives. 

    The mailer also stirred some strong feelings in hardcore Republicans. 

    A former Harris County Republican Party precinct chair said in a text message to the Houston Press, “This is a new low. How can they desecrate Charlie Kirk and his image/memory? It is disparaging and insulting. I am literally feeling the same feelings I felt when I heard of [Kirk’s] assassination. This is inhumane and insensitive. Have they no morals or ethical boundaries?” 

    This mailer was distributed to Cy-Fair ISD voters this week. Credit: Screenshot

    A post in the Facebook group CFISD Parents for Librarians had more than three dozen comments early Friday morning. 

    “Teachers are not the enemy and to equate them as such and that they are the result of ‘nationwide violence’ is absolutely INSANE,” wrote Ashley Buckner, who posted photos of the mailer. 

    One commenter added, “That sure is a great use of the fear propaganda technique and a testimonial by putting Charlie Kirk on there. If I was still teaching, I would be saving this one as one of the mailers for the kids to analyze when teaching propaganda techniques.” 

    Another commenter pointed out that school boards are supposed to be nonpartisan. “Why do they keep using our children and teachers as the frontlines in their political war?” she asked.

    The Cy-Fair ISD board has been under fire since a conservative Christian majority led by Blasingame began last year supporting book bans, removing chapters from textbooks and trying to get chaplains installed at district campuses, which critics say blur the lines of separation of church and state. 

    In addition to the GOP-endorsed candidates and the pro-public education candidates, board president Scott Henry is also seeking re-election, running for Position 6 against Blasingame and Lane. Henry is backed by trustees Todd LeCompte, Justin Ray and Lucas Scanlon. Elecia Jones is running for Position 7 against Camarena and Walker. 

    The Harris County GOP endorsed the three candidates before the filing period ended and days prior to the publication of a Houston Press story in which Blasingame admitted she’d secretly recorded members of the community, prompting a board policy change that prohibits trustees from taping conversations with community members, district administrators and other trustees without the knowledge of all involved parties. 

    A GOP precinct chair proposed a resolution last month to revoke Blasingame’s endorsement, alleging the trustee brought shame upon the district, but rescinded the motion when she determined she didn’t have enough support from party officials for it to go through.  

    Earlier this week, Cy-Fair Republicans welcomed Gov. Greg Abbott and Senators Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, to a Cypress barbecue restaurant. At the event, Abbott said he wanted to turn Harris County “dark red.” Blasingame, Edwards and Walker attended the event, and Blasingame posted on Facebook on the day of the visit that a “YUGE endorsement announcement” would be forthcoming. 

    Abbott didn’t endorse any of the school board candidates but said his top two priorities are to win re-election in November 2026 and to win Harris County — and he’s willing to spend most of the $90 million in his coffers to do so. 

    Early voting continues through October 31. Election Day is November 4. 

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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    April Towery

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  • Cy-Fair School Board Candidates Say They Want to End Chaos – Houston Press

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    Cypress-Fairbanks ISD board president Scott Henry kicked off a candidates forum Wednesday night, saying, “It’s not about politics. It’s not about headlines either. It’s all about doing what’s right for 117,000 students and the people we serve every single day.”

    It’s an interesting characterization of the panel that oversees the third-largest district in Texas and has made many headlines recently for what some would say are the wrong reasons: accusations of unethical behavior by a board member and a battle with the community and each other over varying viewpoints on the separation of church and state. 

    While incumbents and political newcomers were on their best behavior at the October 15 forum, bickering among Cy-Fair trustees is not uncommon. The community has called for an end to the chaos and negative publicity, but at least a dozen Facebook groups are dedicated to the district’s upcoming election, candidate behavior or school board matters. 

    Early voting begins Monday in the school board race, which will be decided on November 4. 

    A trio of “pro-public education” candidates — Lesley Guilmart, Cleveland Lane Jr. and Kendra Camarena — filed early this year in hopes of unseating three incumbent board members who ran as a Christian conservative slate in 2021. 

    But incumbent Lucas Scanlon opted not to seek re-election, and trustee Natalie Blasingame shook things up by challenging incumbent Henry, instead of running for the seat she already holds. 

    The finalized ballot includes nine candidates: Terrance Edmond (withdrawn), Guilmart and Radele Walker for Position 5; Henry, Lane and Blasingame for Position 6; and Elecia Jones, Camarena and George Edwards Jr. for Position 7.

    The conservative Christian slate of Blasingame, Walker and Edwards — referred to by supporters as “NRG” for Natalie, Radele and George — has been endorsed by the Harris County Republican Party and Glorious Way Church. 

    Henry has been endorsed by current board members Scanlon, Justin Ray and Todd LeCompte. The pro-public education slate nabbed the Houston Chronicle endorsement hours after Wednesday’s forum and is largely supported by teachers and parents who want to ensure that book bans, library closings, and removed textbook chapters aren’t the norm at Cy-Fair ISD. 

    Camarena told a reporter prior to the forum that teachers want to feel trusted and parents want transparency.

    “They’re ready for a change and a board that is not engaged in chaos and shenanigans,” she said.

    Scott Henry
    Natalie Blasingame

    No one at the forum mentioned the fact that Blasingame’s secret recordings of community members prompted a new board policy that prohibits such activity. The candidates appeared to be focused on improving safety measures, ensuring high student performance rates and reviewing the district’s $1.2 billion budget. 

    Blasingame acknowledged she didn’t vote for the 2025-26 budget, something her naysayers brought up to imply she doesn’t support teacher pay increases. The approved budget included an increase in the starting teacher salary to $65,000 and a 4 percent raise on the midpoint or base for other employees, along with increased starting pay for hourly staff to $15 an hour.

    “I want to say to the paraprofessionals, I fought for you,” she said. “I did not vote for the budget because, for me, for you to be the working poor is not acceptable. You’re so critical in our buildings. You cannot do it without paraprofessionals.”

    Blasingame spent much of her time at the forum talking about student performance. 

    “What can matter more than making sure that elementary school kids are able to read?” she said. “Right now, we have about 12,000 kiddos that aren’t at the 50th percentile on reading for first through fifth grade. We have to focus our money where it matters and differentiate support for the campus that needs it most.” 

    She pointed out that the district has lost 2,000 students this year, which she attributed to “changes at the border.” Some families may have “gone back or be afraid to come to school,” she said. 

    Henry said the district needs to partner with parents and ensure that expectations are communicated and they know how to use technology tools. 

    “Most importantly, if we have strong academics, safe schools and parent involvement, we’re going to have very successful lifelong learners, and that’s the key right there,” he said. 

    Scott Henry, Cleveland Lane Jr. and Natalie Blasingame are running for Position 6 on the Cy-Fair ISD school board. Credit: Screenshot

    A few candidates referenced curriculum changes that occurred under the current board, including the removal of entire chapters from textbooks that referenced vaccines and climate change. 

    Guilmart said, “This district deserves a clean slate.” 

    “I remember an efficiency audit that took place under the current board and superintendent just within the last couple of years from an outside auditor who said there was nothing to cut; this district is doing an incredible job,” she said. “And yet we have paraprofessionals who do not make a living wage and we’re losing staff to neighboring districts. We need to raise our voices and advocate for the funds that we need.”

    More than 100 people attended an October 15 candidates forum at the Berry Center. Credit: April Towery

    Camarena said her family moved to Cy-Fair ISD because of the schools but has been negatively impacted by decisions made by the current board. 

    “I’m having to fill in some of the knowledge that my daughter is going to be missing because of those chapters that have been removed from the science textbooks, because I want to make sure that she has access to that information and background information when she goes to college in the near future,” she said. 

    Lane said community members have lost trust in the district because the board has become politicized. They’re opting to homeschool or send their kids to charter schools or private schools, he said. 

    “When you start having discussions about trying to change the separation of church and state, when you start having conversations about making this particular change politically, that’s not what’s best for the kids,” Lane said. “People will come back if the board leads them that way. I am going to make sure that we take the politics out of education and put the trust back in trustee.”

    Elecia Jones is running for Position 7 on the Cy-Fair ISD school board.

    Jones said her No. 1 priority is teacher pay and she wants to ensure collaboration with teachers and parents.

    “There are spaces and places where I’ve attempted to collaborate with a teacher to help my son and realized that there are differences in how they do math,” she said. “I have a math degree, and still, math is new to me. Having those [collaborative] tools, being able to have the communication and transparency between the parent and the student and the teacher is very important.”

    When addressing the budget, Jones brought up that the board slashed bus routes this year in an effort to save money, prompting injuries of several children who were walking or biking to school. The bus routes were later reinstated.  The candidate also reminded her colleagues that the school board is nonpartisan.

    “Our children are not political pawns,” she said. “I know sometimes there’s a question of separation between church and state. I am a Christian but even Jesus doesn’t cause us or force us to believe in him or follow him. There’s no reason we should implement those things on our children and our students.”

    Edwards, who has called for a “forensic audit” of the district, said he wants to do a deep dive to ensure that the district’s tax dollars are being used efficiently. “Before we request a whole lot of additional money, let’s make certain that our house is in order,” he said.

    Radele Walker
    George Edwards Jr.

    Edwards added that he believes in appropriate homework that students can share with their parents. 

    “The school can do so much but the parent plays a role in reinforcing what the teachers are teaching in the classroom,” he said. “We’ve got to have that partnership and it’s got to be one that’s focused on continuously.” 

    Walker, a former school administrator, spoke of the district’s financial crisis and “a crisis of discipline.”

    “Teacher retention is directly impacted by the lack of support for teachers,” she said. “The framework has been set. House Bill 6 gave teachers the authority to reclaim their classrooms. As administrators and board members, we need to pass policies that don’t give a lot of subjectivity. Teachers need to be able to handle students who are disrupting the classrooms. They need to have the authority and they need to have the backing of everybody.”    

    Blasingame, Henry and Lane were asked how they would govern effectively with board members who have different beliefs than they do.

    “Guess what? True North,” Blasingame said. “There is not much that we cannot agree on when it comes down to the role of school as far as reading, writing, math, critical thinking, safety, teachers: having their back and their support, and making sure principals have the tools to do discipline. There is much common ground. It just comes down to getting super clear about our goals and working together to do that.”

    Henry said it’s the fiduciary responsibility of board members to “do the right thing every single day for our kids and our district.”

    “When we work toward the common goal of doing what’s right for our kids, we’re all singing from the same hymn book,” he said. “Are we going to get there differently? Absolutely. That’s OK. We can have our differences of opinion, but at the end of the day, we have to focus on the most important thing, which is academics and safety around those academics.”

    “We have to also act like adults and that’s the most important thing at the dais,” he added.

    Lane highlighted the district’s diversity and said he wants to ensure that different perspectives are engaged.

    “That is going to require having differences of opinion,” he said. “But you’ve got to have each and every person that’s on the board willing to listen. We have to listen to each other, communicate with each other, and then finally, at the end, what is the best decision for the kids? Not ourselves, but overall, for the kids.”

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

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    April Towery

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  • Cypress-Area Church Backs Candidates in Nonpartisan School Board Race

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    A church pastor called forward three people to the altar during a recent Sunday service. The trio wasn’t being baptized or sharing testimonies. They were receiving endorsements in a November school board election.

    Glorious Way Church, east of Cypress, is backing Christian conservatives Natalie Blasingame, George Edwards Jr., and Radele Walker. The announcement came after a sermon in which pastor John Greiner preached on “the importance of signs and wonders.” Greiner then passed the mic to associate pastor James Buntrock.

    Buntrock, the Harris County GOP’s Senate District 7 Chair, a precinct chair, and an advisory board member, also serves as the executive director of the nonprofit MyGodVotes.

    So why would a religious institution tell people how to vote? At least a few of the Harris County GOP precinct chairs are regular attendees of Glorious Way Church and had a hand in the party’s endorsement of the three candidates, which was announced in August. Precinct chairs Bill Ely and Clark Denson came forward when the Cy-Fair ISD candidates were introduced at Glorious Way, offering their support.

    Maybe it’s about control: putting the people who support a party’s agenda at the helm of local decision-making. But maybe, many said this week, it’s because local government, particularly when it involves the education of children, is of the utmost importance. Although this is the first time Glorious Way has endorsed candidates, it’s not uncommon for Houston-area churches to back their favorites in a local race.

    Buntrock couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday but said in his remarks from the pulpit that “because we haven’t done it right in the earthly realms, the demonic is running rampant in the heavenly realm.”

    “If we just start doing our job, we can turn this thing around,” he said, noting that if the three endorsed candidates are elected, they’ll have a majority on the seven-member board along with trustee Christine Kalmbach, who was in the congregation on Sunday.

    “All authority in heaven and earth is given to Jesus and then he assigned it to us and told us to go to all the world,” Buntrock said. “He talks about those in governing authorities and he calls them ‘God’s ministers for righteousness.’ There’s a purpose. They are God’s ministers for good and when they cease to do good or operate with righteousness, they need to get out. That’s why we have candidates who are up here today.”

    “Assuming you guys get elected, you are there to be an avenger against evil and to defend and protect our kids, to protect our families, to protect the covenant of marriage, and to do God’s work in this place,” he added.

    The associate pastor pounded a gavel and told the trio they were officially endorsed by Glorious Way Church. “We are taking the fight up another level,” he said. “I don’t care what the IRS says about this.”

    Edwards, a U.S. Army veteran and former Cy-Fair ISD board member, mentioned that he’s a church deacon and wants a forensic audit of district finances. Walker, a retired CFISD administrator, quoted scripture and talked about loving one another and being careful about the “antichrist among us.”

    “We have to be careful, because they will tear down what we built,” Walker said. “I ask you to vote for the candidate whose values are shared by you, a candidate who believes that our school district should have traditional values and oppose rhetoric and things that are creeping into our schools that are dividing our nation.”

    Blasingame, an incumbent who is running against board president Scott Henry, has recently been embroiled in a controversy over her secret recordings of community members. The board adopted a new policy barring trustees from recording conversations without the knowledge of all parties involved, and Blasingame tried to accuse the panel of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act.

    Her recent behavior, and that of her close friend Damon “Bam” Lenahan — who threatened to release the tapes if one of the residents on a secretly made recording didn’t take down a Facebook post endorsing Blasingame’s opponent — prompted a Harris County GOP precinct chair to introduce a resolution rescinding Blasingame’s endorsement.

    The resolution was withdrawn, and the Harris County Republican Party maintained its endorsement of Blasingame. The endorsements of Edwards and Walker were never called into question. The slate is also endorsed by the Texas Republican Party.

    At the September 20 church service, Blasingame said she has done some good work over the past four years as a trustee, “trying to fight some of the culture wars.”

    “This is a spiritual battle, and this group right here can come in with some spiritual authority to take care of things because the thief is real,” she said. “He comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but our kids deserve to have life and life abundantly. That’s what schools should be offering them.”

    Blasingame spoke of an assignment from God she received years ago on an airplane. “He told me that my role was to tear down the over-interpretation of separation of church and state in our schools,” she said.

    A slate of challengers calling themselves “pro-public education” candidates includes Lesley Guilmart, who is running against Walker; Cleveland Lane Jr., who is running against Blasingame and Henry; and Kendra Camarena, who is running against Edwards.

    click to enlarge

    A slate of “pro-public education” candidates, Lesley Guilmart, Cleveland Lane Jr., and Kendra Camarena, are challenging the conservative GOP-backed hopefuls.

    Screenshot

    Buntrock said the Democrats are “very serious about this fight” and want to take the school board “back to a socialist, progressive, leftist, liberal, Marxist evil.”

    The Harris County Democrats did not endorse candidates in the Cy-Fair school board election. Cypress-Tomball Democrats president Jennifer Lorenz said that race should remain nonpartisan, but it’s not stopping her from knocking on doors to remind her neighbors to cast their ballots on November 4.

    “We need to get back to putting kids and teachers first and get away from the hyper-partisan political nature that has appeared on this board,” said Lorenz, who moved to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD 30 years ago because it was a “destination district” with a reputation for good schools. “Our public schools should not be the place to fight hyper-partisan battles. It really does come back to value statements.”

    Lorenz said school board races matter, even for those who don’t have kids in public schools.

    “They matter more than anything,” she said. “If you are unhappy with the federal government, there’s not a whole lot that can be done. I care about every kid’s education, whether they’re mine or not, period. For those who don’t have that same philosophy, if they live in this district, they should care about their appraisal values.”

    “If the district goes downhill, your resale values are going to go with it,” she added. “That’s a fact. School districts mean a lot to communities.”

    In 2021, it came to light that some of the conservative Cy-Fair candidates were being backed by Republican megadonors who added more than $1 million to the candidates’ war chests. That made the Democrats take notice, Lorenz said.

    “So we’ve got outside money from very clear hard-right folks coming into the community. Maybe we need to pay attention,” Lorenz said. “This was not on our radar. We didn’t think we had to be engaged in this fantastic school district. We supported the candidates who made the most sense. We voted for the incumbents because they were doing such a good job.”

    When Blasingame, Henry, and Lucas Scanlon were elected in 2021, followed by Todd LeCompte in 2023, the board gained a 6-1 majority led by Blasingame. The group supported book bans, reduced library services, and eliminated entire chapters from textbooks that referenced climate change and vaccines. They wiped out several bus routes, which led to accidents and prompted the board to reinstate the bus service.

    “We want freedom of religion, which means not pushing a particular religion at the schools,” Lorenz said. “We’ve become very active because of what this current board has done.”

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    April Towery

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  • Cy-Fair ISD Trustee Natalie Blasingame’s GOP Endorsement Remains Intact

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    The Harris County Republican Party declined to vote Monday night on a proposal to revoke the endorsement of Cypress-Fairbanks school board trustee Natalie Blasingame after the resolution’s author, Precinct Chair Judi DeHaan, withdrew her motion.

    The resolution began circulating among precinct chairs on Friday, citing concerns about Blasingame’s recent actions that have “brought shame upon the district.”

    Monday’s meeting of the Republican Party’s executive committee was closed to the public but DeHaan shared her public comments in an email to the Houston Press.

    “I have been both thanked and vilified for bringing this resolution forward,” DeHaan said at the Republican Party meeting. “And I understand that leadership has made the decision to let the endorsement stand. I do not want others to have to endure this type of repercussions; therefore, I am withdrawing the resolution and wish to thank those who wanted to speak for the resolution to protect HCRP’s integrity.”

    It’s unclear what repercussions she was referring to or whether someone in party leadership encouraged her to withdraw the resolution at the last minute. DeHaan and Harris County Republican Party Chair Cindy Siegel could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday morning. 

    The Harris County GOP endorsed Blasingame, a trustee since 2021, along with retired CFISD administrator Radele Walker and former trustee George Edwards Jr., in late August, before the filing period closed and days prior to the publication of a Houston Press story about Blasingame secretly recording members of the community, including the wife of a fellow trustee.

    The secret recordings weren’t illegal but what happened after Blasingame’s April meeting with community members Jeff Ivey and Bethany Scanlon increased scrutiny around the trustee, who is a Christian conservative and the vice president of the school board.

    Blasingame’s close friend, Damon “Bam” Lenahan, told the Press he threatened one of the residents, Scanlon, to take down a Facebook post supporting Blasingame’s opponent or he’d release the tapes. Lenahan also has engaged in combative debate on social media with several members of the Cy-Fair community. Blasingame and Lenahan said they did not conspire and don’t control each other’s actions.

    The Cy-Fair ISD board adopted a policy last week to prohibit trustees from recording conversations with community members, each other, and district administrators without the consent of all parties involved.

    Blasingame has said she records conversations of people who have made false accusations or lied about her. Scanlon, the wife of Cy-Fair ISD trustee Lucas Scanlon, and Ivey, a Cypress businessman, both resigned their positions as GOP precinct chairs amid the controversy.

    Republican Party officials also took notice when, at a September 4 workshop, Blasingame accused the board of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act by discussing in closed session the policy related to secret audio recordings.

    Board attorney Marney Collins Sims pointed out that the board can accept legal advice in closed session on its “duties” and that often such matters are posted for executive session to give trustees an option to speak privately. Blasingame’s accusation put the district in legal jeopardy, Republican Party precinct chairs said at the time.

    The resolution that Harris County GOP officials were scheduled to consider on Monday states, in part:

    WHEREAS, Natalie Blasingame has engaged in actions that have brought shame upon
    her district, the elected office and the Republican Party through her actions unbecoming the office shown in media sources below for [example] and

    WHEREAS, these actions have caused significant reputational damage to both the office and the Harris County Republican Party; and

    WHEREAS, Natalie Blasingame has enjoined district (CFISD) and every citizen in Cy-Fair in her unfounded, libelous and defamatory statements and allegations upon her admission to violating the Congressional Act, Texas Government Code Ch. 551 …

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Harris County Republican Party immediately rescinds the endorsement of Natalie Blasingame from the list of endorsed candidates,

    ALSO, BE IT RESOLVED, that Harris County Republican Party reaffirm its commitment
    to supporting candidates who reflect honor, integrity, personal accountability, and the
    values of the Republican Party.

    DeHaan wrote the resolution and submitted it for consideration earlier this month amid rampant concerns that Blasingame’s behavior eroded trust and caused reputational damage to the Cy-Fair community and its school board. Many former and current GOP precinct chairs have said the Harris County Republican Party’s endorsement process is flawed and Blasingame shouldn’t have received the nod without input from all precinct chairs. 

    click to enlarge

    The Harris County GOP endorsed Natalie Blasingame on August 25.

    Screenshot

    School board positions are nonpartisan and unpaid. In Cy-Fair ISD, those elected serve four-year terms at-large, meaning they do not represent specific geographic districts. Although Blasingame currently holds the Position 5 seat, she opted this year to challenge incumbent board president Scott Henry for his Position 6 seat.

    Henry received the GOP endorsement when he ran on a slate with Blasingame and Lucas Scanlon in 2021, but did not get the party’s backing this year, allegedly because he’s not conservative enough. Prairie View University professor Cleveland Lane Jr. is also running for Position 6. Trustees Lucas Scanlon, Todd LeCompte, and Justin Ray are backing Henry.

    The election is November 4, with early voting beginning on October 20.

    According to several sources familiar with the Harris County Republican Party, the endorsement process in Cypress-Fairbanks is controlled by a committee of people predominantly representing a group previously known as the CyFair 4 Liberty Political Action Committee and now operating as the MAGA PAC.

    Far-right Republican Bill Ely is the “ringleader,” sources say. Ely has not responded to repeated requests for comment and continues to personally endorse Blasingame after the concerns about her behavior arose last month.

    “Great group of conservatives,” Ely wrote on a Harris County Republican Party Facebook post announcing the endorsements of Blasingame, Walker, and Edwards. “I am excited to support them any way I can and of course proudly cast my vote for them in November.”

    Former Harris County Republican Party precinct chair Charlotte Lampe, now an election judge, said the party should not endorse before the ballot is finalized, noting that several precinct chairs resigned because they were forced to sign a pledge saying they won’t campaign for or support anyone other than the GOP-endorsed candidates.

    “The HCRP endorsement is not worth the paper it’s written on,” Lampe told the Press last week. “What you’re seeing now is real manipulation and real coercion and things that I will never support. If people are going to talk about let’s keep Democrats honest, well, let’s keep Republicans honest too.”

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  • Harris County GOP Considers Rescinding Blasingame’s Endorsement in Cy-Fair School Board Race

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    A resolution to rescind the Harris County Republican Party’s endorsement of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD trustee Natalie Blasingame is expected to circulate Friday among precinct chairs and will be up for a vote at an executive committee meeting Monday night.

    The meeting is set for 7 p.m. September 15 at the Hyatt Regency in Baytown. Harris County Republicans said Wednesday they did not believe the meeting was open to the public. It’s advertised on the party website but no supporting documents, such as an agenda or the resolution on which they’ll vote, are attached.

    The GOP endorsements of Cy-Fair candidates Blasingame, Radele Walker, and George Edwards Jr. were announced in late August, three days before the Houston Press broke the story that Blasingame admitted she’d secretly recorded conversations with community members.

    Both residents Blasingame recorded — Bethany Scanlon and Jeff Ivey — were GOP precinct chairs and have since resigned their positions amid the controversy.

    Blasingame’s action, which she says was to protect herself from people who have made false accusations or lied about her, was not illegal, but school board watchdogs and other trustees have raised a question of ethics and said that trust is broken in the community.

    After Blasingame met with the community members in April, her close friend Damon “Bam” Lenahan threatened to release the audio unless a Facebook post was removed that he believed was disparaging to Blasingame. The post came down, and the recording has not been released.

    Blasingame did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. The Cy-Fair ISD election is November 4.

    The board adopted a policy earlier this week that prohibits trustees from recording each other, administration officials, or members of the public without the consent of all parties involved.

    A Harris County Republican Party Facebook post last month announcing the endorsements netted almost 100 comments, many of whom say they’re supporting one of Blasingame’s opponents, Scott Henry, also a Republican.

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    The Harris County Republican Party announced its endorsement of three candidates for Cy-Fair ISD school board before the filing period ended.

    Screenshots

    One user wrote, “Longtime Republican voter here that will vote against these candidates.”

    Ivey responded, “This just shows you are an independent thinker and not a follower like a lamb going to slaughter.” Responding to another comment, Ivey wrote, “Blindly following a flawed process will be the ultimate end to the party. You must stand against these extremist ideologies.”

    Blasingame is a devout Christian who has taken some heat in recent years for what some consider to be extremist values and efforts to censor curriculum and ban books. She made two failed bids for school board before being elected to a four-year term in 2021. At the time, she ran on a conservative slate alongside Scott Henry, who is now the board president, and Lucas Scanlon, the spouse of Bethany Scanlon. All three were elected and had the backing of Republican megadonors Bill Ely and Dr. Steven Hotze.

    Ely did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

    This time around, instead of running for the seat she already holds, Blasingame challenged Henry for his post, telling the Press that the current board has done some good work but new perspectives are needed to move the district forward. The school board positions are at-large, meaning trustees represent the district as a whole rather than the region where they live. The positions are unpaid and nonpartisan.

    Charlotte Lampe was a precinct chair for decades and now serves the Cypress community as an election judge. She said the GOP endorsements are controlled by a handful of people who changed the bylaws so they can back a candidate before the filing period closes.

    “The endorsements should come from the entire body, but they’re not,” she said. “It’s really disingenuous for HCRP to say, we’ve looked at everybody, because they don’t. There’s a lot going on that I’m concerned about. I am mortified that Natalie Blasingame has not disavowed what [Lenahan is] doing. He’s threatening people.”

    By endorsing Blasingame, the Republican Party is also endorsing bad behavior, Lampe added. She hadn’t seen a copy of the resolution and did not know whether the party would consider revoking the endorsements of political newcomer and retired CFISD educator Radele Walker or former board member George Edwards Jr.

    It’s also unknown whether the party would endorse another candidate instead of Blasingame. Henry was previously endorsed by the Harris County GOP but those close to the process said he fell out of favor because he wasn’t conservative enough and did not support having school chaplains, a measure that ultimately failed.

    “The HCRP endorsement is not worth the paper it’s written on,” Lampe said. “What you’re seeing now is real manipulation and real coercion and things that I will never support. If people are going to talk about, let’s keep Democrats honest, well, let’s keep Republicans honest too.”

    “This is out of line,” she said. “I’m a Republican but I’m never going to not call out people that I think are doing a very bad thing. I hope HCRP does the right thing and pulls the endorsements from the whole slate, to tell you the truth. It’s not being done the way it should be done, where everyone is judged on what they can bring to our community.”

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  • Cy-Fair School Board Adopts New Operating Procedures in Effort to Restore Trust

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    Moments before the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD board approved a policy prohibiting elected officials from secretly recording conversations with each other and community members, trustee Lucas Scanlon addressed accusations levied against him by board vice president Natalie Blasingame.

    Members of the public also weighed in on the controversy plaguing the board that oversees the third-largest public school system in Texas, saying they hoped that the district would soon be in the news for its positive accomplishments rather than the behavior of its elected officials.

    The Houston Press broke the story last month that Blasingame admitted she recorded Scanlon’s wife and a former Republican Party precinct chair while discussing her re-election bid at a coffee shop in mid-April.

    After that gathering, Blasingame’s friend Damon Lenahan threatened to release the recording if Scanlon’s wife Bethany didn’t remove a Facebook post pledging her support for board president Scott Henry, Blasingame’s opponent in the November election. Lenahan has also been accused of posting combative messages on Facebook when someone makes a comment that he believes is disparaging toward Blasingame.

    Blasingame and Lenahan have denied conspiring with each other to threaten those who have been recorded; Lenahan said he acted independently. Blasingame said she only records people who have falsely accused her or lied about her, implying that Scanlon and his wife Bethany did those things.
    The CFISD board’s Governance Committee responded to the sentiment that trust was broken among board members by proposing an update to standard operating procedures that bans trustees from recording community members, administration officials, or each other without the consent of all parties.

    Another significant policy change mandates that trustees submit agenda items through the superintendent’s office and by committee rather than individually.

    The board voted 6-1 on Monday to update the procedures, with trustee Christine Kalmbach casting the lone dissenting vote. Kalmbach said she took issue with the provision that a three-person committee must unanimously agree to request data from the administration.

    Blasingame said at a workshop meeting last week that she supported updating the board procedures but was concerned that the agenda item was posted for a possible executive session, and she didn’t think it met the criteria. She strongly suggested the board had violated the Texas Open Meetings Act.

    Following a contentious debate between Blasingame and Board Attorney Marney Collins Sims, it was determined that the item was properly posted. Although the board can go into closed session to discuss its duties, trustees chose not to. 

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    Cy-Fair ISD board attorney Marney Collins Sims explained to trustees at a September 4 workshop that they’re allowed to talk about duties and operating procedures in closed session if they wish to receive legal advice.

    Screenshot

    Scanlon addressed the controversy and noted that he left the workshop early last week to attend a Cypress Ranch High School homecoming event with his family. Scanlon said Monday he’s not seeking re-election in November but wanted to address matters that have come up lately in the media.

    “False accusations fail under scrutiny over time,” he said. “I welcome inspection. Regarding my lying about my colleagues, this is false. Regarding accusations that somehow I’ve been involved in backroom deals, that is false.”

    “Just because someone is accused does not make it true,” he added. “I encourage stakeholders who are viewing and listening to look at my behavior over time. You’re welcome to interview anybody along this dais. You’ll hear a common thread that what is important as a trustee is the district. That’s it.”

    Following a speech at last week’s workshop in which Blasingame said, “My wish is only that people don’t lie and don’t threaten harm to me and my family,” trustee Julie Hinaman accused Blasingame of gaslighting.

    At Monday’s meeting, Hinaman apologized for being unprofessional at the previous meeting.

    “I was frustrated for the Cy-Fair ISD community,” she said. “A friend who grew up in Cy-Fair and has kids who are current students shared that she is saddened and embarrassed by how our beloved district has been brought into such turmoil. For those who did not attend or watch last week’s work session and only saw the headlines or read the news articles, please know that the true highlight of the work session should have been the celebration of the academic success of our students.”

    During the public comment portion of the meeting, resident Julie Rix thanked Blasingame for her diligence in asking to see contracts and questioning expenditures. Another CFISD parent, Jennifer Chenette, brought up Blasingame’s comments from last week that she wants the truth and to protect her family. Without naming Damon Lenahan, Chenette alluded to the online bullying that Blasingame’s close friend has been accused of.

    “You are not allowed to hand the fox the keys to the henhouse and let him run amok and then claim that you are fearful,” Chenette said. “It doesn’t work that way. I speak the truth. As a result, I’ve been doxxed on social media more than once.”

    Nikki Cowart of the American Federation of Teachers said she and other community leaders are growing weary of being the only adults in the room at school board meetings.

    “The time is now to be adults, to put our students’ needs first, and to stop making the news for the most childish and frankly embarrassing reasons,” she said. “It is time to return to working together, being innovative with untapped resources that are available to us, and not sneaking around with audio recordings and seeking outside legal counsel.”

    “We are thankful, actually, for certain members of this board showing us what we do not want, what we never wanted,” she added.

    Community members have taken advantage of the rift among board members to bolster their preferred candidates in the November election. Blasingame opted not to run for the Place 5 seat she currently holds, instead filing to challenge another incumbent, Scott Henry, for his Place 6 seat. A third candidate is running for Place 6, Prairie View A&M professor Cleveland Lane.

    Place 5 candidates include Lesley Guilmart and Radele Walker. Cy-Fair ISD graduate Terrance Edmond filed for Place 5 but has said he’s withdrawing from the campaign. Place 7 candidates include Kendra Camarena, George Edwards, and Elecia Jones.

    Blasingame, Walker, and Edwards have been endorsed by the Harris County Republican Party. Henry has the backing of fellow trustees Lucas Scanlon, Todd LeCompte, and Justin Ray. A pro-public education slate of Lane, Guilmart, and Camarena is supported by a group of parents and educators who say they want change to the status quo.

    Jennifer Lorenz, president of the Cypress-Tomball Democrats, said Monday she has only recently started attending CFISD board meetings.

    “When this current board majority started reducing buses, banning books, cutting librarians, and taking out important information like real climate change and real American history facts, we felt we needed to have a presence here,” she said. “We are here because of our values. We would like there to be less drama. Boring, for school boards, can be a great thing. This is supposed to be a nonpartisan board. We would love it to be one again.” 

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  • Cy-Fair School Board Member Alleges Open Meetings Violation While Under Scrutiny for Secret Recordings

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    Things got tense at the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD board meeting Thursday night.

    In the midst of a contentious election season in which board vice president Natalie Blasingame is looking to unseat board president Scott Henry, Blasingame has been accused of secretly recording conversations with at least two community members: the wife of trustee Lucas Scanlon and a former GOP precinct chair.

    When faced with a proposed policy change — which would prohibit trustees from making secret audio recordings — at a workshop session Thursday, Blasingame accused the board of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act by discussing its standard operating procedures during a closed session in June.

    She then went on to talk about the importance of honesty and transparency, which prompted trustee Julie Hinaman to accuse her of gaslighting.

    In an August interview with the Houston Press, Blasingame admitted she recorded discussions without the consent of all parties — which is not illegal in Texas — because she believed Scanlon’s wife made false accusations about her and lied about it.

    “I think we’ve asked for transparency and the community asked for transparency,” Blasingame said at Thursday’s meeting. “For me, my wish is only that people don’t lie and don’t threaten harm to me and my family.”

    While many have expressed concern about the secret recordings, and Hinaman alluded to there being more than one trustee who has done it, the real problem is what happened after Blasingame met with Scanlon’s wife Bethany and former Republican Party Precinct Chair Jeff Ivey, government watchdogs have said.

    After Blasingame met with the community members in mid-April to discuss her re-election campaign, her friend Damon Lenahan threatened via text message to release the recordings if Bethany Scanlon didn’t remove a Facebook post pledging her support of Blasingame’s opponent in the November election, board president Scott Henry.

    Lenahan has also been accused of posting combative messages on Facebook when someone makes a comment that he believes is disparaging toward Blasingame. Blasingame and Lenahan have denied conspiring with each other to threaten those who have been recorded; Lenahan said he acted independently to protect his friend, whom he referred to as “the darling of the district.”

    On Thursday night, Hinaman said she was flabbergasted by Blasingame’s statement that she wants transparency and to protect her family from threats.

    “That’s shocking,” she said. “That’s gaslighting. Somebody asked for the definition of gaslighting recently. That is gaslighting.”

    Blasingame quipped, “Honesty is definitely the best policy, and I appreciate honesty.”

    The issue of secret recordings has created distrust among board members, some of whom had difficulty containing their frustration with each other at the most recent meeting. The board’s Governance Committee, on which Blasingame sits, proposed updating its standard operating procedures to prohibit trustees from audio recording community members, administrators, and each other without the consent of all parties involved.

    Scanlon was present for the first half of Thursday’s meeting but was not at the dais when the discussion about the policy changes came up.

    Blasingame said she agreed with the policy update but put up a fight about the agenda posting, which stated that the matter could be discussed in closed session. She said she didn’t think it met the criteria for executive session, which includes things like property purchases and employee evaluations. She said she wanted to make a formal request for outside counsel to advise whether a Texas Open Meetings Act violation had occurred.

    As Blasingame pleaded her case, board attorney Marney Collins Sims interrupted her repeatedly to explain that an item could be posted for executive session if trustees thought they might need legal advice on the matter. Blasingame wasn’t having it.

    “I’m going to finish my statement and then you can answer,” she said to the attorney.

    Sims explained that she is the board’s general counsel and gives legal advice in closed session. It is “not a true statement and is probably defamatory” that the board has violated the law, Sims said.

    “I’ve offered to talk to you, as your lawyer, in closed session,” Sims said. “I tried to answer before the soliloquy … I understand now that you’re asking which specific section under the open meetings act allows a board to go into closed session and review operating procedures. It’s very clearly 551.074. You can go into closed session to discuss the duties of a public official, which is inherently what board operating procedures are.”

    “This board has never gone into closed session contrary to the open meetings act, and to say that is a lie,” she added.

    Ultimately, Blasingame said she supports the board policy revisions, which also create parameters for how trustees request information from the superintendent’s office. The board is scheduled to vote on the procedures at its Monday, September 8, meeting.

    “I have zero issues with the content of our board operating procedures,” Blasingame said. “Those are not our duties. Our duties are assigned by Texas Education Code, and this is just our choice of how we will operate together. I actually very much agree to every point that was made. I am supportive, very supportive, of the policy that’s being proposed.”

    Standard operating procedures are not laws, but rather internal rules created by the school board to govern operations and decision-making processes, Sims told the Press prior to Thursday’s meeting.

    “In our operating procedures, school board members are responsible for holding themselves accountable, and the procedures provide for how trustees should address concerns with other trustees and can include involving the Board President or the entire board,” Sims said in an email.

    If adopted Monday, the updated board procedures are expected to become effective immediately. Hinaman asked that trustees sign the approved document after Monday’s vote and that it be posted on the website.

    click to enlarge

    Cy-Fair ISD trustee Natalie Blasingame, center, is running against board president Scott Henry in the November 4 election. Also pictured is trustee Christine Kalmbach.

    Photo by April Towery

    Henry, the board president, said the item was placed on the agenda because a few trustees were concerned about secret recordings.

    “It’s unfortunate that this step is necessary, but it’s important we set clear expectations, so our board members remain professional and respectful to each other and the public,” he said last month.

    Trustee Justin Ray, who chairs the Governance Committee, said community members and district employees must be able to speak openly and honestly with their elected board members.

    “These provisions are intended to restore and enhance that confidence that’s critical to district governance,” Ray said.

    The board election scheduled for November 4 is sure to be a contentious one. Blasingame opted not to run for the Place 5 seat she currently holds, instead filing to challenge Henry for his Place 6 seat. A third candidate is running for Place 6, Prairie View A&M professor Cleveland Lane.

    Lane is running with a slate of “teammates” who say they are “pro-public education” and want to oust the extremist conservative trustees who removed chapters from textbooks, supported book bans, and eliminated bus routes. Lane’s slate includes Lesley Guilmart for Place 5 and Kendra Camarena for Place 7.

    Blasingame, along with Place 5 candidate Radele Walker and Place 7 candidate George Edewards, has been endorsed by the Harris County Republican Party. Henry has the backing of fellow trustees Lucas Scanlon, Todd LeCompte, and Justin Ray.

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  • More Accusations Revealed As Cy-Fair ISD Prepares for Vote on Its Audio Recording Policy

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    In the wake of accusations that a Cypress-Fairbanks ISD board member secretly recorded community leaders, the school board is set to update its standard operating procedures this week.

    If approved, the new policy would prohibit trustees from recording conversations with members of the public, administration officials including the superintendent, and other board members without the consent of all involved parties.

    After the school board’s vice president Natalie Blasingame admitted she recorded a fellow trustee’s wife and a former Harris County Republican Party precinct chair without their knowledge, several residents came forward saying they were more concerned about threats from Blasingame’s “best friend” Damon Lenahan to release the audio and potentially harm the reputations of community leaders.

    Numerous Cy-Fair parents have also shared examples of Lenahan’s combative Facebook posts under the name “Bam Lenahan,” which say things like, “I don’t want to ruin or destroy you.”

    The Cy-Fair ISD board meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, September 4, for a workshop and will vote on its standard operating procedures September 8. The board’s current operating procedure manual, last updated in May 2024, does not reference audio recordings.

    Blasingame said last week she’s sure the initiative is targeting her but she doesn’t have a problem with it. She said she records conversations with people who have made false accusations about her or lied about her, in order to protect herself.

    She surmised that the standard operating procedures item was placed on the agenda by Scott Henry, the board president and Blasingame’s opponent in the November 4 election. When reached for comment, Henry said a few trustees expressed concerns about being recorded without their knowledge.

    “The Governance Committee reviewed the issue and recommended updating our Board Operating Procedures to address it,” Henry said in an email last week. “It’s unfortunate that this step is necessary, but it’s important we set clear expectations, so our board members remain professional and respectful to each other and the public.”

    A third opponent is challenging incumbents Henry and Blasingame in the Place 6 race for trustee. Prairie View A&M University professor Cleveland Lane Jr. thought he’d only be running against Henry, but Blasingame surprised everyone when she abandoned her current position, Place 5, and decided to run against another incumbent, saying last week that she thinks a slate of GOP-endorsed candidates that does not include Henry is best suited for the challenges ahead.

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    From left, Scott Henry, Natalie Blasingame, and Cleveland Lane Jr. are running for Place 6 in the Cy-Fair ISD school board election.

    Screenshots

    Lane said he was disappointed in the situation. He said he has a bond with his teammates — the “pro-public education” slate of Lane, Lesley Guilmart, and Kendra Camarena — to make sure the district continues to move in a positive direction.

    “We’re going to put the trust back in trustee,” he said. “The community has to believe in us. We’re representing the people of the community, and we have a very diverse community. We have to be able to communicate.”

    Blasingame confirmed last week that she’d recorded a conversation with Bethany Scanlon, the wife of CFISD trustee Lucas Scanlon, and Jeff Ivey, a former Harris County Republican Party precinct chair, without their knowledge. She did that, she said, because she believes the Scanlons have made false accusations against her and Ivey actively campaigned against her in a previous election.

    Months after the trio met in a coffee shop, Lenahan — Blasingame’s “best friend,” or boyfriend, as he’s known in the community — sent threatening text messages to Bethany Scanlon strongly suggesting she remove a Facebook post that referenced her support for Henry in the November school board race.

    Scanlon took down the post after Lenahan gave her a countdown and said he was going to release the audio from the coffee shop meeting and a second recording from a phone conversation with Blasingame. Text messages to Ivey also threatened that the audio recording from the coffee shop meeting would be released.

    Lenahan told the Houston Press last week that he sent the texts because he wanted people to stop disparaging Blasingame, whom he referred to as “an amazing human being” and the “darling of the district.” He said Blasingame didn’t ask him to do it and can’t control him.

    “I think sometimes she wishes I would shut up on social media,” Lenahan said with a laugh.

    “You know what’s really disturbing? That all of these people care more about the secret recordings than why the recordings happened in the first place,” he added. By perpetuating “lies and false allegations” against Blasingame, “They’re the ones making it public, not us, which is why I gave them the chance to take that bullcrap down,” he added.

    “The only reason Natalie hasn’t [fought] tooth and nail at this is because she didn’t want to drag the district through this,” Lenahan said. “She wanted to have a fair election, win or lose. Instead, they chose to reassert allegations that are known to be lies and false.”

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    Cypress-Fairbanks ISD board elections are set for November 4.

    Photo by April Towery

    Ivey told the Press that the audio recordings don’t incriminate anyone and he doesn’t care if they’re released. He added that Blasingame might have to answer some tough questions if she releases the recordings in full because of the language she used and the opinions she expressed. He said he didn’t want to be involved in the matter and resigned his position as a GOP precinct chair last week.

    Ivey said Blasingame invited him to join her and Bethany Scanlon for coffee in mid-April to discuss her re-election campaign. Ivey, whose wife is a Cy-Fair teacher, has two children in the district and runs a conservative Facebook group. He said he’s open about his beliefs and isn’t concerned about anything he said during the meeting with Blasingame.

    But the former precinct chair, who’s supporting Scott Henry in the November election, said it would be difficult for board members to continue functioning when trust is broken.

    “You want harmony on the board,” he said. “You want a cohesive board that can work well with the administration. It’s disingenuous if you’re really trying to work together for the common good, which is for the students in Cy-Fair ISD. To have Natalie run in the same race as Scott … you have two incumbents running in the same exact same race against a well-qualified individual, Dr. Lane. The best outcome is that they’re going to split the vote. It’s almost like you don’t care about the good of the board.”

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    Several Cy-Fair parents came forward last week and shared what they say are disturbing online interactions with an associate of CFISD board vice president Natalie Blasingame.

    Screenshots

    Cy-Fair ISD parent Kris Schweighardt said the problem many community members have with Blasingame is more about Lenahan’s threatening text messages and Facebook comments, not the recordings. Because of the contentious political climate, members of the public often record audio at candidate forums and public events to hold their officials accountable, she said. What they don’t do is threaten to release the tapes and “take people down.”

    Schweighardt said Lenahan is a bully and acted like a bouncer at a Tea Party meeting held at a restaurant, telling people they couldn’t be there. She says he commented on one of her Facebook posts, “I don’t want to ruin you or destroy you.” She says she replied with the same phrase. That post may have been removed by an administrator or buried within one of the many Cy-Fair Facebook groups; the Press was unable to find it. Lenahan’s behavior has been reported to CFISD police, Schweighardt added.

    Lenahan’s LinkedIn page says he’s a conceptual engineer, technology consultant, and founder of TYGGO Inc. A link to the TYGGO website is broken. The Facebook profile he frequently uses to engage with other CFISD parents, “Bam Lenahan,” lists his current city as Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, indicating that portions of his social media profiles may be fake or not updated.

    Harris County Republican Party Election Judge Charlotte Lampe, who has grandchildren in the Cy-Fair district, said she’s been attacked by Lenahan on Facebook. She said it appears that Blasingame is providing information that Lenahan can use to try to blackmail people. “He told me he was going to release all kinds of stuff about me and my quote was, ‘Do it now.” I have nothing to hide. You go for it, dude,” she said.

    “I just really feel like, if you vote for Natalie, you get this guy, and that gives me pause,” Lampe said. “For Natalie to act like she doesn’t know it’s happening, I find that hard to believe.”

    It’s not lost on anyone that accusations are being hurled as an election looms in November. On the ballot are Terrance Edmond, Lesley Guilmart, and Radele Walker for Place 5; Blasingame, Henry, and Lane for Place 6; and Elecia Jones, Kendra Camarena, and George Edwards for Place 7.

    The pro-public education slate is Guilmart, Lane, and Camarena. The GOP-endorsed candidates are Walker, Blasingame, and Edwards. That leaves Henry as an outlier, along with political newcomers Terrance Edmond, a CFISD graduate and small business owner, and Elecia Jones, an accountant. Henry has been endorsed by fellow board members Lucas Scanlon, Todd LeCompte, and Justin Ray.

    Edmond announced in a statement over the weekend that he is suspending his campaign and supporting Radele Walker for Place 5.

    Cy-Fair parent Bryan James Henry, who is not related to Scott Henry and founded the nonprofit Cypress Families for Public Schools, said in a blog post that he has concerns about Walker and Edwards “hitching their wagons” to Blasingame’s slate while she has served as a “constant source of distraction and extremism” during her four years on the board.

    Bryan Henry called attention to text messages from Lenahan to Bethany Scanlon, published in the Press last week in which Lenahan cautions Bethany Scanlon to be aware of “not just the legal ramifications but the social impact that [conspiring to take down Blasingame] will have on you, your child and your husband.”

    “George Edwards and Radele Walker should seriously consider cutting ties with Blasingame, whose supposed boyfriend threatened a sitting trustee’s child (think about that),” Bryan Henry wrote. “Natalie Blasingame should resign and let Cy-Fair ISD get back to the business of serving students.”

    Lampe said she didn’t realize until recently that so many people — Republicans, Democrats and those who haven’t publicly stated a party affiliation — have been subject to online bullying. The common denominator, she said, is that they’ve mentioned Blasingame in a less-than-flattering way.

    “It’s very creepy,” Lampe said. “We’re seeing something, and we’re saying something. I’m surprised that Natalie has not disavowed this guy. That troubles me. Recordings are one thing, but then giving them to somebody to use as a leverage of ‘if you don’t do this, I’ll do that,’ shows complicity and I do not want that kind of individual on a school board with that much responsibility to our community.”

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  • Cy-Fair ISD Trustee Natalie Blasingame Admits Secretly Recording Community Members

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    As if the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD school board races weren’t contentious enough, new accusations against the board’s vice president arose this week, as community members, including the wife of a trustee and a former GOP precinct chair, have accused Natalie Blasingame of secretly recording conversations they believed were private.

    While the recordings are not illegal, CFISD trustees have signaled that trust is broken. The board will discuss its standard operating procedures at a September 4 workshop and vote on it the following week. They’ll specifically be addressing audio recordings, said Blasingame, who said she thinks she’s being targeted by the proposal but is fine with it. Agendas for the upcoming meetings had not been posted at press time.

    Blasingame admitted to taping the conversations, saying she records people who have falsely accused her or lied about her in the past.

    “When there’s evidence and proof that [people] have lied about me, then I do that to protect myself,” she said. “I never intend to share them, but if I have to, I can. I was the one who admitted I taped, remember? I said I taped. I’ve only recorded people who have falsely accused me and admitted to lying.”

    Filed under the “you can’t make this stuff up” category, the saga doesn’t end with the recordings. Damon Lenahan, who describes himself as Blasingame’s best friend, said that after the secretly taped conversations, he sent threatening text messages to the people who were recorded.

    “Natalie has never threatened anybody,” he said. “I made the threats that [the recordings] would be made public because they were making public the false allegations that they’d already [denounced as false].”

    As a result of one of those threats, Bethany Scanlon, the wife of CFISD trustee Lucas Scanlon, removed a Facebook post that said she was no longer supporting Blasingame in her bid for re-election.

    On Wednesday, Blasingame said she didn’t direct Lenahan to send the texts or have any knowledge of his doing that until after the fact. In that phone interview, Blasingame talked a lot and she talked fast. She was pleasant, wanting to discuss childhood literacy and underserved populations rather than party politics and taped conversations.

    “Let’s do the business of the school district, which is educating our children,” she said. “All of this is smoke and mirrors and a distraction from getting the work done.”

    Since Blasingame, a Christian nationalist, was elected to a four-year unpaid term in 2021, she’s led charges to remove sections of curriculum that refer to vaccines and climate change. She’s supported book bans. She’s fought to have chaplains in classrooms. Until recently, she’s been largely supported by her fellow board members, who typically vote in lockstep with her in a 6-1 conservative majority.

    Historically, the Texas Education Agency has not looked favorably upon school boards that are known for public infighting, citing open discord among Houston ISD trustees as part of their assessment of the district prior to the state takeover in 2023.

    Signs that the Cy-Fair board was fracturing were revealed when candidates began filing for a November 4 election.

    Instead of running for the seat she currently holds, Blasingame filed to challenge board president Scott Henry, who had been an ally on the board but lost the Harris County GOP endorsement this year because, according to a district parent, he didn’t support school chaplains. Prairie View A&M University professor Cleveland Lane Jr. has also joined the Place 6 race, running on a pro-public schools slate hoping to oust the “extremist” incumbents.

    Blasingame said she believes the board did some good work together following her election in 2021 and when new conservative members were elected in 2023 but now the district’s challenges should be tackled by the candidates who are up for the task: the three endorsed by the Harris County Republican Party, Radele Walker for Place 5, Blasingame for Place 6, and George Edwards for Place 7.

    “I think the people who are elected officials in leadership in the area have given their vote of confidence to the three of us,” Blasingame said. “I feel like I have the best chance to win against another incumbent, because I’m also an incumbent. I chose to take the harder race on.”

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    Three current board members have endorsed Scott Henry for CFISD’s Place 6; the Harris County Republican Party is endorsing Henry’s opponent Natalie Blasingame.

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    According to Bethany Scanlon, she and Jeff Ivey, both Republican Party precinct chairs, met with Blasingame in mid-April to discuss the candidate’s re-election campaign.

    It’s unclear what exactly was said during the mid-April meeting at a coffee shop but Bethany Scanlon said she thought it was a casual conversation among friends. About two weeks after the gathering, some CFISD trustees said Blasingame “admitted that she secretly recorded the conversation at the meeting with Bethany and Jeff without their knowledge.”

    In August, Bethany Scanlon posted on Facebook that she could not support Blasingame’s re-election bid and would instead be endorsing Scott Henry.

    “I regarded Natalie as a friend (she ran on a Republican slate in 2021 with my husband) but because of some behaviors towards my family and as a Trustee, I cannot support her for re-election,” Bethany Scanlon wrote in a now-deleted social media post. “This is not a choice I take lightly. I have shed many tears over this horrible situation.”

    Later that day, Bethany Scanlon claims she received a series of text messages from Lenahan, who is known in the community as Blasingame’s boyfriend. Lenahan demanded she remove the social media post, referring to her “and her cohorts” as “pieces of crap,” and said he’d encouraged Blasingame to press charges.

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    Damon Lenahan says he sent several text messages to the wife of a CFISD board member demanding that she remove a Facebook post that he believed was disparaging to trustee Natalie Blasingame.

    Screenshots

    “Do you understand I will post this communication and have everyone I know circulate it on social media so that everyone knows what horrible character the Scanlons have?” one message states. “You do realize God cannot and will not tolerate what you have done and are doing to Natalie?”

    Lenahan said he sent the message because its author was bringing up false allegations.

    “They were alluding to it,” he said. “They weren’t coming out and saying it exactly. What that tells you is that they had already perpetuated this lie in the community and they were keeping it alive — and the person who was keeping it alive was the person who called up and said it was a lie. They’re doing it for the purpose to discredit Natalie.”

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    Pictured in back from left are Cy-Fair ISD board members Todd LeCompte and Christine Kalmbach, Superintendent Douglas Killian, and board members Julie Hinaman and Lucas Scanlon. In front from left are board members Natalie Blasingame, Scott Henry, and Justin Ray.

    Photo by Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

    Lenahan said Blasingame is a darling of Cy-Fair ISD, a retired educator who has held administrative positions in Houston, Spring Branch and Alief ISDs, but she’s drawn some negative attention from people who don’t like her exposing corruption and asking questions about excessive spending in the district.

    Lenahan added that when someone makes what he believes to be a false allegation against an elected official, they should be prepared to be called out in public.

    “If you’re going to do that, I’m going to defend and show what the truth is by that person’s own words,” he said.

    Three additional people reached out to the Press on Wednesday after hearing that this story was in the works, saying they had received threatening comments from Lenahan on their Facebook posts. 

    When reached for comment, Bethany Scanlon said she felt like she was ambushed during her meeting with Blasingame.  She emailed the following statement on the matter to the Houston Press,  published in its entirety.

    I have been told I was recorded. Those recordings have not been shared with me. I cannot authenticate if it was me on the recordings or not. I believe a Trustee recording me multiple times without my knowledge is a breach of trust. How many people has Trustee Natalie Blasingame recorded without their permission? My opinion is that Natalie’s boyfriend is threatening to use those recordings against my family because he wants to create a false narrative in order to win a campaign for his girlfriend.

    In the text message exchange with Ivey, dated August 8, Lenahan asks if Scott Henry is running for school board even though he wasn’t chosen by the precinct chairs. Ivey repeatedly asks, “Who is this?” and after Lenahan answers with his name, Ivey asks, “Who are you?”

    “A concerned citizen of CFISD who is going to save you some trouble,” Lenahan replies. “I think you may want to talk to me because you are involved in something that may become quite public soon. Your choice. One chance. Yes or no. No hiding behind a keyboard anymore.”

    Ivey then messaged, “I am not a good one to threaten. Do whatever you think is best. I don’t care.”

    Ivey said in a phone interview Wednesday that he doesn’t understand why he’s been dragged into this. He resigned his position with the Harris County Republican Party earlier this week. “I don’t want to be a part of it,” he said. “I think it’s a circus.”

    There’s nothing that Lenahan could make public that would harm him, Ivey said.

    “I welcome the tape to be released, and I want the entire tape to be released if they’re going to do it,” he said. “I think that [Blasingame] would have to answer for some of her opinions and some of the words that she used and it may be uncomfortable for her.”

    There’s a certain amount of trust that is extended in personal and professional relationships, Ivey added.

    “If I was a member of that board and I had somebody recording my conversations that I didn’t know about and I had confided in them, maybe my intentions or how my campaign was going to run, any kind of a strategy that I want to keep confidential, as a respected peer, I think that loss of trust would cause disharmony on the board,” he said. “I think it would cause everyone to be guarded and I think it would cause the board to really not be able to operate as a well-oiled machine.”

    Texas is a “one-party consent” state, meaning it is not illegal to record a conversation if at least one person involved in the discussion approves. This is true both in person and over the phone, according to the Texas State Law Library.

    Blasingame said the effort by trustees to alter procedures on audio recordings isn’t necessarily direct evidence that there’s a rift or a lack of trust among board members. A rift already existed, she said.

    “If you look at the voting in the past, it’s very clear who votes together,” she said. “It’s very clear that the women have been sidelined. This isn’t about a rift. This is about the work of the district getting done and me fighting for the things I believe in.”

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    April Towery

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  • Cy-Fair ISD: Challenges to the Conservative Status Quo Make For Absorbing Political Theater

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    Those who think school board races are boring and that all the candidates have similar messaging haven’t checked into Cypress-Fairbanks ISD lately. To begin with, incumbent and devout Christian Natalie Blasingame is taking on Board president Scott Henry amid speculation that he isn’t conservative enough.

    At the other end of the political spectrum, several newcomers to the at-large positions have entered the race in the ongoing debate over the separation of church and state in public schools. Critics say the present board has spent too much time talking about pronouns and book bans and that, by cutting bus routes to save $4 million, they endangered children.

    The school district has been under scrutiny for the last two election cycles, but particularly since 2023, when a 6-1 conservative majority emerged, led by Blasingame, who serves as the board’s vice president. Blasingame has stated publicly that the Lord put an agenda on her heart to “tear down the over-interpretation of the separation of church and state that has shut God out of schools.”

    Blasingame, Henry, and Scanlon have been financially supported by Republican megadonors and engaged in pronoun policies, book bans, and the revision of CFISD textbooks to exclude references to vaccines and climate change. The slate of “pro-public education” candidates — Guilmart, Lane, and Camarena — is aiming to “take back” the board from officials they refer to as Christian nationalists.

    Voters will have the chance to sort through the eight candidates seeking three school board seats in the November 4 election.

    The ballot was finalized Monday, with Terrance Edmond, Lesley Guilmart, and Radele Walker vying for Place 5; Blasingame, Henry, and Cleveland Lane Jr. running for Place 6; and political newcomer Kendra Camarena and former trustee George Edwards Jr. facing off for Place 7. Incumbent Lucas Scanlon, who currently serves in Place 7, is not seeking re-election.

    There are a few theories as to why Blasingame would run against a colleague who frequently votes with her conservative bloc rather than seeking re-election to the seat she already holds. Members of the political action committee Cy-Fair Strong Schools, who are trying to unseat the incumbents, say Henry lost the backing of GOP donors when he didn’t support chaplains in schools, a measure that ultimately failed.

    “I think they’re trying to strong-arm Scott to drop out,” Cy-Fair Strong Schools board member Tara Cummings said in a text message last week. “Because the Harris County Republican Party isn’t endorsing Scott. He didn’t fall in line well enough with the extremist agenda.”

    Blasingame did not respond to repeated requests for an interview. Henry agreed to answer questions by email and when asked about why Blasingame was challenging him, he responded: “Ask the incumbent. I focus on results, not personalities. Voters will judge records and plans.”

    Cy-Fair ISD is the third-largest district in Texas, composed of 46 percent Hispanic students, 20 percent white students, and 20 percent Black students. About 60 percent are economically disadvantaged and 21 percent have limited English proficiency.

    Place 5: Terrance Edmond, Lesley Guilmart and Radele Walker

    Terrance Edmond filed for Place 5 just a few hours before the 5 p.m. Monday deadline. The Cy-Fair graduate is a former Houston ISD teacher and Prairie View A&M instructor who now runs an international tech company called The Owner School. He said he’s running for school board because he can’t get any answers from the district administration about financial waste.

    “That’s the issue that I care most about, financial accountability,” he said. “I’ve seen the district that I came from drastically change. We’ve got school bus routes being cut and librarians being cut, and I need answers to very specific information about where the money is going. It’s a lack of transparency. If anyone can give me the information I need, I guarantee you I will withdraw my candidacy.”

    Edmond said he needed special education services as a young student in Cy-Fair ISD because of severe attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Thanks to caring teachers, he was able to “get out” of special ed in ninth grade, he said.

    “Cy-Fair gave me the opportunity to become the person I am,” he said. “I became the president of the debate team. Cy-Fair is very special to me. This is not about politics. What I care about is balanced, objective information. I am running to protect the taxpayers who get up every day and work hard for their families to have answers on where their money is going.”

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    Terrance Edmond, Lesley Guilmart and Radele Walker are running for Place 5 in the Cy-Fair ISD school board election.

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    Lesley Guilmart is a former CFISD educator and instructional leader for the Harris County Department of Education. She is the president of the nonprofit Cypress Families for Public Schools and works in higher education. She has two children in Cy-Fair ISD.

    Guilmart, who moved to the district in 2009 for the schools, says the extremist majority has made decisions that have harmed students.

    “I believe that every single child, no matter their address or ZIP code, deserves an excellent public education, and I want to make sure that we get Cy-Fair ISD back on track,” she said. “That starts with feeling safe and welcome and included and respected. When you start to have things posted on the walls and perhaps instructional materials or even staff members who are affiliated with a particular religion, that starts to imply to students that one religious tradition is more valuable or legitimate than others.”

    Radele Walker is a graduate of Cy-Fair ISD and served as a school bus driver, special education paraprofessional, program coordinator, and assistant principal. She retired from the district in 2022, according to her campaign website.

    Walker could not be reached for comment Friday or Monday. Her website outlines a platform with the following pillars: fiscal accountability and transparency; high academic expectations; standing strong for teachers; student accountability; safety and security; defending parental rights; and culture-war-free curriculum.

    “As a retired assistant principal, I believe our classrooms should be dedicated to true learning — focused on reading, math, science, and fact-based history — free from political agendas or distractions,” Walker says on her website. “My commitment is to keep the culture wars out of our schools, guarantee full transparency in what is taught, and make sure parents are always informed and involved.”

    The current Cy-Fair school board has been criticized not just for altering district curricula but for wasting time talking about pronouns and book bans while dismantling bus routes to save money.

    After the transportation schedule was altered to stop offering bus rides to those who live within a mile or two of their school, 17 students were injured while walking or cycling to campus. Following a public outcry, the scrapped bus routes were added back into the budget in June.

    On the subject of safety, Walker says on her website that every child deserves to learn in a secure, well-protected environment.

    “I will stand for strong local control and apply common-sense security measures that stop threats before they happen,” she said. “Our educators must have the training, tools, and support to respond quickly and effectively in any situation. Protecting our children is our highest responsibility, and I will approach it with the firm commitment and seriousness it deserves.”

    Guilmart said that the slate she’s running on, which includes herself, Lane, and Camarena, brings educational backgrounds and the experience of concerned parents with kids currently attending Cy-Fair schools.

    “We know what types of questions to ask of the CFISD leaders as we work alongside them to move the district into a future that ensures every student’s safety and success,” she said.

    Eleven percent of Cy-Fair ISD’s registered voters turned out for the 2021 election, and 16 percent cast ballots in 2023, Guilmart said. The candidate says she’s gotten feedback from a diverse group of stakeholders who are concerned that the board is wasting its time on censorship and making poor fiscal decisions.

    “What makes me different from the current board majority is that I will look at the potential domino effects and be mindful of potential unintended consequences and work to be transparent and collaborative so we move forward in a way that’s smart and maximizes benefit to students in the community,” she said.

    Place 6: Natalie Blasingame, Scott Henry, and Cleveland Lane Jr.

    Blasingame was elected to a four-year term in 2021 on her third attempt at a school board seat. She has plenty of critics but even those who don’t like her method of leadership concede that she genuinely believes in the importance of providing a Christ-centered public education.

    Her social media bio reads, “I’m a mother, educator, friend and community-minded person of faith. I love people and serving God.” Her candidate page bio reads, “Student outcomes don’t change until adult behaviors change.”

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    From left, Scott Henry, Natalie Blasingame, and Cleveland Lane Jr. are running for Place 6 in the Cy-Fair ISD school board election.

    Screenshots

    “Trustees should bring their time, talent, and a spirit of teamwork to the role. However, they should never GO ALONG JUST TO GET ALONG,” Blasingame wrote in a CFISD candidate questionnaire published four years ago. “That is how a divisive [critical race theory] agenda crept into our boardroom via a resolution.”

    “Trustees should actively seek the voices of our citizens: hearing celebrations and concern, then respond as a team to address these,” she added. “Positive board relations mean nothing if we don’t represent the voice and values of our stakeholders.”

    Blasingame also said that the community has lost faith in the district to “educate and not indoctrinate our kids.”

    “Our board has allowed content into the curriculum that works against our values. In CFISD, we love each other and seek unity and excellence. We don’t tolerate racism and division. We want schools to be factories of HOPE where students leave prepared for careers and productive citizenship,” she said in the questionnaire.

    “Our amazing teachers are on the frontlines each day addressing learning loss,” she said. “They deserve freedom to differentiate their teaching to meet each child’s needs. Let’s give teachers their voice back and return joy to the teaching profession! This will attract and retain the best teachers for our children.”

    About 18 percent of Cy-Fair ISD’s teachers left the district in the 2022-2023 school year. Superintendent Doug Killian announced last year that a projected $138 million budget deficit would affect 320 teachers and 66 paraprofessionals and support staff.

    “We are NOT laying off people,” Killian wrote in a public letter to the community. “We will use vacant positions that have not been eliminated to move staff into. We have prioritized filling open teacher and paraprofessional positions to help campuses meet their classroom needs first.”

    Blasingame and Henry were both involved in an effort to ban books and revise the school’s library policy so that all new literature purchases to be approved by the board.

    “Their argument was parental rights, that [the questionable books] are trying to indoctrinate my kid into this leftist woke ideology,” Cummings said in an interview earlier this month. “You’re the one who’s infringing on my right to decide what my kid can have access to. They pushed and pushed, and the district caved and revised their library policy. Now you have to opt in and it’s a lot more cumbersome for parents.”

    Because of the new policy, some teachers have opted to shut down their classroom libraries because they don’t want to deal with the scrutiny from board members, Guilmart said.

    The board removed entire chapters from digitized textbooks that made references to vaccines and climate change. Teachers aren’t allowed to talk about potentially controversial current events like the deadly Texas measles outbreak.

    Blasingame has said that the curriculum lessons were rewritten to be more objective and to avoid the assertion that vaccines and climate change are settled science. The state requires that students learn about vaccines but teachers are not to opine on whether they’re good or bad but rather to explain how they work.

    Henry said in a 2021 candidate questionnaire that he has worked as a software consultant for large multibillion-dollar companies for more than 20 years and has extensive knowledge in cybersecurity. He acknowledged in an email that the board has been criticized for some of its policies.

    “Faith is personal, and I respect every family’s beliefs,” he said. “I follow the Constitution and Texas law, protect student rights, and keep academics front and center. Our materials review is transparent, TEKS-aligned, age-appropriate, and viewpoint-neutral. Equal rules for everyone, and politics stay out of the classroom.”

    The board president listed several accomplishments he’s proud of during his four-year tenure, including pay increases for staff, bus drivers, cafeteria teams, paraprofessionals, and campus police. The district cut waste from the budget, prioritized keeping taxpayer dollars in the classroom, added new bus drivers and more reliable routes, and was named a Texas Art Education Association District of Distinction five years in a row, he said.

    “We have returned the focus of the district to education, emphasized retaining great teachers and other staff and faculty, and have increased parental involvement and transparency,” he said. “As the third-largest school district, it was absolutely critical that we course-correct, and we have made great strides.”

    When asked how he’s helped shape policy, Henry said, among other initiatives, the board “removed liberal indoctrination from classrooms and put the focus back on fundamentals.”

    Lane, who made an unsuccessful bid against trustee Todd LeCompte in 2023, is a professor at Prairie View A&M University and a parent of two current students and one CFISD graduate. He said he’d like to see more community involvement and for the board to consider what parents want from the school district.

    “There’s been some limitations on our students’ learning because [trustees] were editing the books,” he said. “Also I was very concerned about the many accidents that were happening because children were getting hit because of the modification of the bus routes.”

    He said he wants to ensure that students are equipped to work in diverse communities with new technology, and he wants to focus on engaging educators, parents and students in the Cy-Fair school district who feel like their voices aren’t being heard.

    “My big thing is to make sure that we get back out there and say this is ours and the only way it’s going to get better is if the community as a whole works to make it grow,” he said. “That’s my whole thing, continuing to work and be part of the growth of the district. I want us all to take ownership and make this district stand out, to be the beacon.”

    Place 7: Kendra Camarena and George Edwards Jr.

    Kendra Camarena said she and her husband and daughter moved to Cy-Fair ISD, like many, for the schools. The candidate is a former educator who now leads economic development and partnerships in the office of Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones.

    Camarena said she’s been watching school board meetings since she moved to Cypress and was concerned “about a lot of the decisions, including the removal of bus transportation across the district.”

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    Kendra Camarena and George Edwards Jr. are vying for the Place 7 seat on the Cy-Fair ISD school board.

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    The candidate worked in education for about 20 years, serving as a teacher and instructional coach in Houston ISD.

    “As a parent and as someone who has been in education and understands the diversity of the students — Harris County is one of the most diverse communities — I think it is extremely important that we respect all families and also respect parental rights,” Camarena said. “I want to ensure that every student feels valued. If we push one religion forward, I don’t want any other student who comes from a different religious background to feel that they are, in any way, shape or form, devalued because they think differently.”

    The pro-public education candidates have emphasized that they’re not anti-Christian. Camarena quoted her favorite Bible verse in Isaiah, which says that “the word of God stands forever.” Camarena was raised in church and her daughter spends summers at a Christian camp. She said she’s not attacking anyone’s beliefs but rather wants to ensure a learning environment where students feel safe and accepted.

    Cy-Fair ISD is one of many Texas schools named in lawsuits challenging new legislation, effective September 1, requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom.

    Testimony was heard in a San Antonio federal court on Friday as advocates requested a preliminary injunction in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District. The judge has not yet issued a ruling, according to Moises Serrano, a media relations manager with the nonprofit Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

    Edwards is a U.S. Army veteran, a certified public accountant, and a former CFISD board member. He retired from Exxon Mobil after a 39-year career and said in a 2023 candidate questionnaire that he brings insight “into high expectations and standards for student success.”

    When reached for comment Monday, Edwards said he couldn’t talk and that information about his candidacy is available on his website. He said in the questionnaire that the role of the school board is to govern, hire and evaluate the superintendent, adopt the budget, and provide a listening ear to the community.

    “Positive trustee relations play an important role in student success,” he said. “Trustees with positive relations are able to focus significant attention on ensuring high standards and expectations for student success are sustained throughout the district.”

    When asked about challenges facing the district, Edwards said too many students are not reading at grade level.

    “This challenge must be addressed head-on so that our parents, teachers, and taxpayers will continue to have confidence in CFISD’s reputation,” he said. “Increasing parental involvement in student education, in addition to greater attention to reading practices, is paramount.”

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    April Towery

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