FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2026
Menomonee Falls, WI — Grassroots Menomonee Falls Area (GMFA) is calling on School Board candidate Jefferson Davis to address newly uncovered records detailing racist and inappropriate conduct at a middle school basketball game this past December, just months ago.
Davis is a longtime Menomonee Falls political operative and former Village Board President who resigned from office amid campaign finance fraud. He is now seeking a seat on the School Board — the very body entrusted with safeguarding students and setting standards for conduct in the district.
On December 11, 2025, a Game Day Misconduct Report was filed with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) regarding an incident at Templeton Middle School’s boys basketball game on December 9, 2025.
The report identifies Jefferson Davis as the official involved.
The report category: “Hate speech/Racism toward coach.”
According to the written statements from coaches present at the game:
One coach reported:
“One of the referees made a comment to [REDACTED] that was inappropriate and racially insensitive… He then asked, ‘Do you know what kind he is?’ and pointed at [REDACTED], saying, ‘your color,’ before laughing.”
Another coach documented:
“The referee said the other coach was loud, rude… Then he looked in my face and said Yeah, he is your color.”
The report further describes the referee telling a coach:
“You’re probably not gonna like me because I am the person who lives on Sheridan with all the Republican signs.”
The complaint also states that during the game, the same referee yelled at a parent and falsely accused him of being on the court, with parents witnessing the conduct.
In internal district communications dated December 10, 2025, Athletic Director Brian Kirt wrote to area administrators:
“My boys basketball coaches had an issue with an official yesterday. I won’t get into details. If you have Jefferson Davis scheduled to officiate games at your place, when we play you, please let me know ASAP.”
In February 2026, a district administrator followed up, asking:
“Was an official complaint filed on this?”
The existence of a formal WIAA misconduct report confirms that the incident was serious enough to escalate beyond informal concern.
This incident did not occur decades ago. It happened in December 2025, mere months before voters will decide who should oversee district policy, equity, and student well-being.
Jefferson Davis has a long history in local politics. He previously resigned from his role as Village Board President following campaign finance fraud issues. Now, voters are confronted with documented racist comments made while serving as a referee at a middle school athletic event.
School board members are responsible for representing and promoting the education and well-being of all students and supporting staff and coaches. As a community, we should expect our leaders to model ethical leadership. Racially insensitive remarks directed at a coach — in front of students and families — directly undermine those responsibilities.
GMFA believes this reflects not an isolated lapse, but a decades-long pattern of poor judgment and behavior inconsistent with the standards expected of public officials. GMFA believes this pattern of behavior — both recent and historical — demands clear accountability.
We find Jefferson Davis’s conduct at a middle school athletic event, combined with his prior resignation from the Village Board amid campaign finance fraud, to be reprehensible. It would be disgraceful and embarrassing to have him represent our community — and even more troubling to have him serve in a key leadership position for our students.
School Board members are entrusted not only with policy decisions but with modeling integrity, respect, and inclusion. When a candidate has been formally reported for racist remarks at a school event just months ago, voters must ask:
- What message does that send to our families?
- What does that communicate to students of color?
- To coaches and educators?
- To parents who expect professionalism and ethical leadership?
Menomonee Falls deserves leadership that reflects our community’s highest standards, not a continuation of a decades-long pattern of misconduct.
We call on Jefferson Davis to publicly address the misconduct report, take responsibility for his actions, and immediately withdraw from the School Board race. Our students and community deserve leaders who reflect integrity and respect, not candidates whose recent conduct and long record of misconduct undermine the very values our schools are meant to uphold.
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