New welcome sign at STRS, greeting the teachers who enter the building to attend a board meeting, just before they encounter the body scanner and bomb-sniffing dog(s)

 

Suzanne Laird to STRS board 02.18.2026: I would hope you would all like to be on the right side of history, preserving democracy at least in this room, for the teachers of Ohio.

Suzanne Laird's speech to STRS board

February 18, 2026

Good Morning, Members of MY Board:

You may start your timer now.

I am sure you have been watching the demise of democracy across our nation this past year with as much alarm as I, but what I find most interesting are the parallels to our situation here at STRS. Am I exaggerating? Consider the following:

The suppression tactics employed to silence voters are no different than the silencing of our teacher representatives on this Board. Free and fair elections are a hallmark of democracy, as opposed to political appointments.

Trumped up charges leveled against our representatives by ethically-bankrupt attorneys are no different than a corrupt Department of Justice in Washington (Thank goodness we have a city attorney who is not afraid to deliver a just ruling.). The rule of law applies to all, even those who hide behind anonymity.

What allows democracy to die in darkness here at STRS? Appointees who condone the manipulation of the make-up of our Board, packing it for political advantage, undermining fair representation. Sound familiar? It’s called gerrymandering.

An employer with no conscience whose pockets are deep: the rich get richer with raises and PBIs, while the retired sink into certain poverty. Sound familiar? Trickle-down economics at its most perverse.

We, who run the gauntlet of dogs and scanners and the demand for our IDs each month here, recognize the intimidation tactics of Minneapolis with sickening familiarity. We are interrogated by armed men, restricted to certain areas, metaphorically zip-tied to three minutes of free speech, with “warnings.” Am I exaggerating? Prove me wrong.

I would hope you would all like to be on the right side of history, preserving democracy at least in this room, for the teachers of Ohio. An appointee who chooses not to speak up on our behalf to the Governor, ORSC, and legislators is no better than the sycophants surrounding a dictator.

We demand to be represented fairly, with fiduciary responsibility, so that all educators in Ohio can enjoy a secure future.