Katy, TX 24 February 2021 — RESIGN IMMEDIATELY Mrs. Vann. Katy Independent School District School Board President, Ashley Vann is under fire for her comments relating to a social media post that one of her supporters posted on Facebook. The post, discovered by school watchdog, Jaloni’s Voice, a Houston based organization, made reference to Coca-Cola hosting “Be Less White” training and depicts (along with others) two white men, wearing gold chains, baggy clothes, and throwing up gang signs. Vann’s campaign consultant Robert Willeby replied to the same post, by posting a picture of Fat Albert. Willeby has also consulted on the campaigns for other board members including Bill Lacy and Courtney Doyle. It is rumored Willeby has private meetings with the Katy ISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski and disperses information for the district before it is released to the public. No explanation for Willeby’s connection to the KISD school board or to the superintendent has ever been explained.
Previously, Mrs. Vann has faced similar scrutiny when she refused to denounce the racist attacks on her African American opponent in the 2020 school board election. These racist attacks resulted in the opponent dropping out of the election race. Mrs. Vann was previously the Board President and resigned prior to her term being completed due to the backlash of the community against Katy ISD following the resignation of former Superintendent Lance Hindt. Though she resigned as Board President in 2018, she was nominated again to be Board President in 2020.
A change.org petition is being circulated demanding Vann resign immediately from the Katy ISD School Board. Mrs. Vann’s response to the Facebook post was insensitive, racist, in poor judgment, and does not meet the expectations and standards of the KISD school board president.
Prior to this incident, numerous suggestions have been put forth for Katy ISD to create an Office of Diversity and Inclusion; these suggestions have been ignored. Perhaps now, in lieu of the behavior of the school board president and other close associates to the board and to the superintendent, maybe now KISD will in fact create the much-needed Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Thus far, the district has been reluctant to pay heed to the cries of the community for its creation. In over 100 years of the district's existence, only one African American has ever been elected to the board.
Neither Vann nor Gregorski could be immediately reached for comment.
