An Appeal to the Leyton School District

The ongoing conflict in the Leyton School District came to a head last week when the Superintendent of Schools was placed on paid administrative leave.

I don't know the reason, nor do I need to. But the backlash from the move against sitting members of the School Board has been considerable.

The subsequent resignations of two members of that body, along with the need to procure new legal counsel for the District and far more rumors than facts, has resulted in hurt feelings, accusations and flaring tempers.

If the current course is not corrected, the result will only be tragedy for the District, the educators, the students and the Dalton/Gurley community. So how do we correct the course?

Big decisions will have to be made in coming days and weeks. No matter what they are, some people will be disappointed. How a person handles life's disappointments and hardships shows others a great deal about their character. As does how victories are handled.

It's incumbent on all who involve themselves in decisions and matters relevant to the current situation in the Leyton District to be mindful of this and not allow emotions or feelings to overwhelm self-discipline.

I co-pastor two churches in rural Cheyenne County. I'm on the board of Community Shepherds, and involved in a non-denominational men's Bible study in Dalton. I count among my friends both current and recently resigned/replaced members of the School Board, Leyton teachers and administrators, and both past and current students in the District.

With people I care about on all sides of the ongoing situation, it breaks my heart to see decades-old relationships in danger, family members not speaking to each other, faculty under incredible stress, and some students actively considering transferring out of Leyton.

I appeal to everyone involved to remember we are all loved by God and created in His image. Scripture is very clear. We are to love even those we disagree with or count as enemies.

When under attack, we are not to respond in kind, but pray for those who persecute us. Oh, it's hard. Insanely hard. But few of the most noble and righteous things that have occurred in history were easy.

Jesus told us to do unto others as we would have them do to us. It's an instruction we are to follow even when those around us don't. No one knows how the Leyton situation will turn out, but what is certain is that we'll all have to live with each other long after it's resolved.

Let's not be a part of anything to inflict lasting wounds that will drag the aftermath on for years.

Please. The enemies of our nation and the enemy of our souls are doing all they can to divide us and pit us against one another.

Let's commit to not letting them succeed in doing so at the local level. And let's all pray for everyone involved in this matter, and ask God to give each of us patience, self-control, and as Lincoln said, "... malice toward none, charity for all."