In September of 2021, two fathers were arrested for disrupting a school board meeting in Round Rock, Texas. Sensational headlines tied their story to the mask mandate, making these two fathers out to be the face of “domestic terrorism”. Unmasking the full story, we find a tale of school board malfeasance and even an assault that was covered up with the arrest of Dustin Clark and Jeremy Story.
On August 16, Jeremy spoke up at a school board meeting to protest the hiring of a superintendent who had a protective order on him due to an assault charge. The police forcefully escorted him out of this meeting.
On September 14, Dustin spoke up at a school board meeting that had limited public engagement to 18 people (citing COVID restrictions that weren’t applied elsewhere in the schools), when they proposed a tax increase. Such a huge proposal needed public approval, which was impossible as most attendees were barred from the proceedings with police manning the doors. Dustin’s outcry at such a violation of the Open Meetings Act also resulted in a police escort out of the building.
On September 17, sheriffs arrested Jeremy and Dustin for disrupting school board meetings. The attempt to silence these two fathers and make them out to be criminals has only amplified their resolve to exercise their right to petition the government for grievances.
COVID created a window into our schools that many parents hadn’t peeked into, and when they did, they had something to say, and school board meetings around the country that were accustomed to sparse attendance saw a resurgence of parent participation. The upside to all the hubbub around school board meetings is the determination of parents to exercise their democratic rights, and this participation in local politics has caught many school boards off guard.
And while there are surely stories of some parents unlawfully exercising their voice, many are concerned mothers and fathers like Dustin and Jeremy, who refuse to let their arrest be their last word.
To find out more about their story, see the timeline of events and even contribute to their legal funds, visit riseforstudents.org.
In the Hold my Drink — navigating culture with a chaser of civility, and Counterweight podcast, Episode 54, we speak with Dustin Clark & Jeremy Story, two fathers arrested for disrupting a school board meeting in Round Rock, Texas. Headlines made them out as anti-mask mandate marauders and the face of “domestic terrorism”, but the truth is stranger than this fiction. Their stories unmask the internal machinations of a school board that was unprepared for public and parent scrutiny after COVID forced school and school board transparency, which led to a revival of civic engagement and participation. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a round of water.
Hold my Drink welcomes all people with all kinds of beverages to join us as we explore the truths of a chaotic and beautiful world, together.
Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch the conversation unfold on YouTube, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Podcast Resources
Rise For Students Dustin & Jeremy’s Timeline and Legal Defense Fund
Two men arrested days after controversial and rowdy Round Rock ISD meeting over masks, KVUE, Shawna M Reding
2 men arrested in connection to disrupted Round Rock ISD board meeting, KXAN, Grace Reader
Dustin Clark is a businessman and former Army Captain.
Jeremy Story is a minister and President of a national ministry to college students.
Episode 54: Unmasking "Domestic Terrorism" | Dustin Clark & Jeremy Story