Suzanne Laird to STRS Board: Where are your morals, that you would allow a Director who cannot control his actions back inside this institution?

Suzanne Laird's speech to the STRS Board

May 16, 2024

Good morning, Members of MY Board:

Yesterday was a good day. Finally, a little bit of light, after months of darkness. Did ya notice all the bright lights? Yeah, the media is finally catching up to the story, the real story. We will correct the misinformation “anonymously” perpetrated by STRS and soon, we will have Michelle Flanigan here to help refute the false narrative. 

There was good news on Wall Street! The three indexes hit all-time highs yesterday! Do you suppose our one hundred investment advisors can meet their benchmarks? Or should we fire most of them, save the bonuses, and invest in index funds? 

More good news: the former Executive Director, the one with anger issues, the one placed in time out, should be on his way out. I say, “should” because one never knows, with Ohio politics. The “honorable” Governor, who has inserted his heavy hand in our elections not once, but twice, may attempt to influence this decision, as well. For years, I have worked to end gerrymandering and fought for free and fair elections; never did I think I would need to stress that ALL Board members should be advocating for fair elections at STRS. Every single one of you should have been up in arms last year when the integrity of the election was illegally circumvented. 

You who were here in November of 2021, as I was, know full well that your fellow Board members were not attempting anything for their own gain. They were doing the fiduciary duty that you all were sworn to do: protect this pension system. You should be up in arms that the “honorable” Attorney General is claiming otherwise, and you should be speaking up!

Where is your outrage? Where are your morals, to sit back and let them be persecuted? 

Where are your morals, that you would allow a Director who cannot control his actions back inside this institution? 

Now that we have a majority of Board members working toward transparency and accountability, you could find yourself on the right side of history. 

We’re waiting. 

Join us.