The accusation that Wardlow bullied one of our classmates for being gay, as reported in an Oct. 30 article “Wardlow, Ellison sharpen attacks,” is a reckoning for Eagan High School’s class of 1997. It is forcing us to come face-to-face with the fact that our school was not safe for LGBTQ students. Fortunately, many of us have grown up to recognize the dark underside of our high school days, become more tolerant and accepting, and even raise children who are doing the same.
Unfortunately, Doug did not make the same decision. Instead, he has doubled down on the hateful stances of his high school days. He has used his professional life at Alliance Defending Freedom to protect those who discriminate and attack those who need our love and support. Doug claims he will be apolitical when he takes office. We know that isn’t the case. Doug never was apolitical and never will be. He is an extremist who will try to take us back to a time to which we never want to return.
The undersigned members of the Eagan High School Class of 1997:
Tiffanie Baker, Missy (Leiferman) Boody, Katiah (Young) Brown, Marilyn Byrd, Lindsay Carlson, Meghann Fedde Charboneau, Alex Cook, Adam Cooley, Lea Coon, Stacy (Renick) Crakes, Scott Crichton, Lindsey Dickinson, Melissa (Geist) Feeler, Holly Flood, Rebecca (Larson) Gierok, Jean Harlson, Lynn S. Larson, Dana (Edwins) Leno, Joel Lessard, Daniel Machovsky, Erin (Harmon) Matschiner, Jason J. Miller, Lindsey Munro, Katie (Mozer) Murr, Dan Murr, Pathana Navandy, Laura (Anderson) O’Connor, Nickie Pufall, Chad R. Rath, Megan (Ruegg) Robertson, Kristen Scarpetta, Alicia Peterson Shams, and Ryan Thorman. This letter was submitted by Katie Murr of St. Paul.
Minneapolis Star Tribune, November 2, 2018