WAUSAU (WAOW) -
A candidate for the Wausau School Board refused to participate in an organized forum Tuesday, after he said some of his opponents got special treatment. The forum was supposed to include all four candidates running for the board, but at least one of them received questions ahead of time.
There are three open spots on the board. The election will be held April 2.
Of the four people running, three are incumbents. The Wausau Education Association held the forum Tuesday to help staff in the district get to know where they stand.
"It's our practice that questions not be given out ahead of time," WEA President Jeff Berkley said. But he admitted to us, they were. "I found out they were given out after the fact, but yes."
Berkley said someone leaked the questions to current board members who are running again. When we asked who gave out the questions before hand, he said he had no comment.
The questions, which were sent to us by a Wausau School Board member, were not given to challenger Matthew Young.
"Copies of questions were handed out some time prior to the board meeting last night, therefore incumbents were there," Berkley said.
Young told Newsline 9 over the phone, that's not fair. Even though WEA leaders scrapped the leaked questions before the forum, he declined to attend.
We reached out to the race's three incumbents. One of them declined an on-camera interview. The other two didn't return our calls.
Meanwhile, WEA leaders said they will work harder to make sure this doesn't happen again.
Berkley said he will send the written questions from the forum to Matthew Young so he can respond. His answers will then be posted so other members of the association can see them.
The Wausau School Board election will be held April 2.
