MOLINE, Ill. — A Moline-Coal Valley School Board member is being asked to resign after allegations of personal misconduct began circulating online last week.
On Monday, April 1, School Board President Andrew Waeyaert asked Board Member Jason Farrell to resign from his position due to the allegations. The allegations were made public in a YouTube video posted on March 31 by Farrell's wife's ex-husband, Matt Harris.
News 8 reached out to Waeyaert for comment on the situation and received the following statement:
The Moline-Coal Valley School District is a leader in educational excellence in the region. We take this role very seriously, including holding ourselves accountable. The content provided by Mr. Farrell's wife's ex-husband is truly disturbing not only to the Board but to the larger community as well and does not represent the Board of Education's values or high standards. The allegation and a corroborating video, while Mr. Farrell has not to my knowledge been charged with a crime, are enough to erode the public's trust in his ability to make decisions that are in the best interests of the students, staff, and community he is supposed to represent. That is why on Monday, April 1, 2024, I officially, as Board President, asked Jason Farrell to resign his position as a School Board Member on the Moline-Coal Valley Board of Education.
News 8 also reached out to Farrell for comment on the situation, who has been on the school board since April 2023. He provided the following statement:
I have no intentions of resigning from my school board position. The allegations made against me are false. I have not been charged with any crimes but instead tried solely through social media. My wife and I, with the advice of legal counsel, will explore all of the options we have to respond accordingly to such heinous accusations.
Court records show Harris has filed for an order of protection against Farrell in Rock Island County.
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