Michigan Rep. Criticizes School Board for Censuring Whistleblower

Republican Representative John James from Michigan has taken a stand against a local school board, which recently censured a trustee for revealing a hidden tax increase plan.

Carol Beth Litkouhi, a trustee on the Rochester Community Schools Board of Education, filed a lawsuit against the district on February 3. She claims her First Amendment rights were violated when the board censured her and removed her from all committee positions after she outed the tax hike. James attended a school board meeting on March 9 to support Litkouhi, emphasizing his opposition to the board’s actions.

“In the army, we had a saying: Mission first, people always. You cannot accomplish the mission working against the people you serve,” James stated in his speech, which he shared on X. “That’s exactly what’s happening in this school district.”

Litkouhi’s revelation came through an op-ed published on October 30 in the Detroit News, where she highlighted that school boards in Oakland County were planning to introduce an “Enhancement Millage” for the ballot as early as August 2026. Subsequently, on November 10, the board censured her, which many perceived as retaliation.

“I want to speak directly to the board about Trustee Litkouhi. What Carol Beth Litkouhi did took courage, which I’m not seeing out of this board today,” James remarked, confronting the board members. He accused them of secretly coordinating with officials to promote the tax hike while instructing them to remain silent.

“You said no,” James continued, addressing Litkouhi directly. “You wrote the truth, and for that, the board censured you, stripped your committee assignments, adopted a gag rule, and silenced an elected official from representing her community. They silenced her for speaking the truth.”

James also pointed out a troubling case in Rockford, Michigan, where a school allegedly encouraged a girl to socially transition to a male identity without informing her parents. “That family had to hire a lawyer just to get answers because the school decided it knew better than them,” he explained.

As he continues his political career, James is currently running for governor in Michigan, where the incumbent Democrat, Gretchen Whitmer, is term-limited.