This is not how Kathy Lennon expected to spend the final months of her first term representing district 2 on the Hamilton County Board of Education.
On Monday, Feb. 3 – the first day school board candidates could pick up qualifying papers – both she and former Red Bank mayor John Roberts did so. Consequently, she said Tuesday during a telephone interview, she was looking forward to spending spring and summer “running (for re-election) against John Roberts.”
Twenty-two days later, on Feb.
25, she suffered a heart attack.
Three days after that her mother died.
“It’s been crazy ever since,” she said.
Her decision to speak out this week about what has happened was a reluctant one, Mrs. Lennon noted.
She initially kept quiet about her heart attack and ensuing events, she said, because she wanted to keep her private life private.
Besides, she said, despite the double blow, she fully intended to continue her re-election campaign.
“I’m stubborn,” she said. “I’m a (colon) cancer survivor. I wasn’t going to let a heart attack get me down.”
Rather than snap back from the heart attack, though, she got worse. Throughout March and into April, she felt terrible, growing weaker and weaker. Clearly, something was wrong, doctors told her.
By then, however, the coronavirus pandemic was in full force. Access to medical care was limited, and she could not get the diagnostic tests she needed to see what was wrong.
On April 8 – bowing finally to the wishes of her family and her doctors – she announced she would not be seeking re-election after all.
It wasn’t until weeks later that she was able to have a lung scan that revealed she had pericarditis and fluid around her heart.
These days she’s on medication, and her health is gradually improving. She’s regaining her strength.
Now, she’s angry.
She withdrew from the school board race, she said, so she could concentrate on getting better and mourning the loss of her mother.
Instead, she said, she keeps getting dragged back into a race in which she isn’t even a candidate.
With her and John Roberts both out of the race, she said, Chattanooga entrepreneur and businessman Marco Perez was left as the sole candidate to qualify to run.
Her longtime acquaintance and Notre Dame High School classmate, Tom Decosimo, had chosen not to pick up qualifying papers, saying he planned to run as a write-in candidate.
Following Mrs. Lennon’s withdrawal, however, Mr. Decosimo charged that she and Mr. Perez had colluded to influence the District 2 race because she had pulled out within a week after the qualifying deadline.
He then asked that the qualifying deadline be extended under Tennessee’s “Anti-Skullduggery Act Of 1991.”
“If what the incumbent and her lieutenant did to try to manipulate the process is not ‘skullduggery’, I don’t know what is.,” he said in a written press release.
Hamilton County Election officials complied with his request, enabling Mr. Decosimo to qualify late and his name to appear on the ballot.
The attacks on her have continued throughout the ensuing weeks, Mrs Lennon said, although her focus is on getting well and finally being able to grieve for her mother in peace.
Now, however, she’s decided her constituents and other Hamilton County residents have a right to know why she isn’t trying to hold on to a political seat she loved.
Toward that end, earlier this week she posted a lengthy explanation on her Facebook page. Later, contacted by phone, she agreed to be interviewed.
The full text of her statement on Facebook reads as follows:
This is a long post for me. I have not shared my personal reasons for withdrawing from the District 2 School Board race, but I think it is important to share them now. I hope no one felt slighted for not knowing my full reasons, but I hope after reading this, you will understand I was not in a place where I was comfortable sharing such personal details.
For those of you who may not know, I suffered a heart attack on February 25th. My mother, who I provided care for 24/7 in my home, passed away three days later on February 28th.
I never imagined the turn my life would take after that. It has been a long journey. My family has been by my side every step of the way and I am beyond grateful for their love and support. I can’t begin to express the healing and peace that I have felt this week being in (Montana) with my daughter and grandchildren.
For the first time since February I have been able to travel from my home, the home where my mother died. I needed time to grieve and reflect, but I had multiple serious health complications from my heart attack combined with being quarantined until 4 weeks ago because of COVID.
During my quarantine I consulted with my family and dr.’s and received multiple test results that did not bode well for my health. I made the difficult decision to withdraw as a candidate for the District 2 School Board race.
That decision was not made lightly. I grieved that decision just like I grieved the other events taking place in my life during those months. The past four years serving on the school board have been some of the most important and rewarding experiences of my career. Leaving my school board position seemed like it would be the final blow in what felt like a series of losses and grief.
To be accused of skullduggery and manipulating the election process by my high school friend, Tom Decosimo, was hurtful in a whole new way, not to mention disappointing. And it hasn’t stopped.
Even though Tom has known the full details of my reasons for withdrawing for some time now, he continues to try and benefit from his false accusations. The continual attacks on my character as a school board member by Tom are not what I expect from a friend, or any person seeking a position on the Hamilton County School Board.
It’s true we were in disagreement over the budget last year, but I reached out to Tom after community budget discussions in May of 2019.
His response, “I don’t disagree with what you say about hunger, supplies, and emotional needs, but the HCBE is not where those needs will be met. The United Way, churches and the inner city need to address those problems. Those needs are not met hiring an army of counselors, data managers, graduation consultants, assistant principals and so on and so forth.”
I told Tom, “I am on the school board because of the students. Providing resources for all students in Hamilton County. I want students to have what they need to succeed.”
I asked Tom if we could sit down and talk. His response, “Let’s talk early next week. I know you and you are 100% kind and generous, incredibly smart and get things done. I can shed light on the current situation and you will understand why this all has turned horribly political.”
Tom and I never met.
Tom knew that I had full care of my mom during this time. He shared, “That is a huge responsibility caring for your mother...I know you have children and schools as your primary concern.”
Fast forward to April 14, 2020 and Tom Decosimo decides to be a write-in candidate for District 2, but then he goes a step further and accuses me of skullduggery.
Why did Tom Decosimo wait until I withdrew to run for school board?
Why does he want to run for school board?
I’m afraid I know why. He seeks to divide in order to fulfill his conservative agenda, which includes aerodynamic paddling of students and supporting corporal punishment in our schools. He hopes to remove important and necessary supports for our most vulnerable students. He hopes to undo all the progress we have made.
Voters should know that Tom has not reached out once to ask me questions about District 2 and what I think are the important issues that we are facing. Even if Tom disagrees with my votes on these issues, shouldn’t a school board candidate at least want to know what the main issues are? Tom doesn’t seem to think that’s important, unfortunately.
You do not vote for a candidate because they are a fifth-generation Chattanoogan and Signal Mountaineer or a business partner. You vote for a candidate because of their platform. Because they want to engage in policies so every student in Hamilton County can have the same opportunities for a great education regardless of where they live. A candidate that wants to prepare all students for future challenges. Now more than ever it is important to get out and VOTE on August 6th.
I know I have not always made the right decisions as a school board member but I promise I always keep students, students, students at the top of the list when making a decision. I talk to teachers and I listen. I listen to community members. I work with my County Commissioner in District 2 and all of our County Commissioners.
I hope the public, and especially the voters in District 2, will see that there was no attempt at skullduggery, just a series of personal tragedies that had an impact on my life. I pray that you will vote for the right person in the District 2 school board seat, and that person is absolutely not Tom Decosmio. Our students deserve better.