The current Souderton Area School Board is not unlike a sandcastle we all used to build with our children when we would go “down the shore.” It was built on “shifting sands” and would eventually wash away due to the incoming tide. The current Souderton School Board, like the sandcastle, has chosen to build itself on the shifting sands of a deep-seated resistance to truth and accountability. The school board has allowed the tide of its own silence to erode any remaining trust the community has in its school leadership.
A full year has passed since Souderton School Superintendent Frank Gallagher and former School Board President Ken Keith issued their joint “Important Letter to the Community” on August 2, 2024, in response to board member Bill Formica’s social media post about Vice-President Harris. Gallagher and Keith claimed at the time that “Words matter. Respect Matters”. Then, Gallagher and Keith told us they needed “some time to process the situation.”
Since August 2 last year, the administration and board chose to ignore Formica’s rampant hate speech despite the overwhelming demand by our community that our District uphold basic shared values of prioritizing truth over a conspiracy of silence. For over one year, the entire board has failed and refused to condemn Formica’s bigoted social media posts and unprofessional behavior.
Three current Souderton Board Members who stayed silent include Stephen Nelson, Andrew Landis, and Janet Flisak. They are seeking reelection this November to the school board. If Nelson, Landis, and Flisak really stood for what is right, and took our District motto to heart that “Character Counts,” they should have spoken up to strongly condemn their fellow board member immediately. It is my view, and the view of many others, that their time “to process the situation” is up as is their time on the Souderton School Board.
School boards are entrusted with a sacred responsibility: to ensure the best possible education for the students they serve. When a school board, however, opts to ignore the truth and operate in silence, it not only undermines its credibility but also jeopardizes the very foundation of effective education and community trust.
The Souderton Silent Team, led now by Board President Nelson, has failed in my view to fulfill one of its primary responsibilities to serve as role models for our young people. How?
Keep in mind that they did not utter a single word of disapproval as Formica used disrespectful rhetoric against teachers (“great gig and only work 9 months”; and “spewing their morals”), declares a shooter a “hero,” wants to ban the LGBTQ community, disrespects an elected female leader ( “horse face is an imbecile”), demeans Spanish speakers, and spews arrogant hate against immigrants.
All the above posts and comments were before Formica was appointed to the Board on June 22, 2023! See: https://righttoknowsouderton.com/formica-timeline
You must ask yourself: What did Nelson, Landis and Flisak know about this person before they voted to put him on our school board? If you believe they did not know, why did they not do a background check and properly vet him? Why did they not interview other candidates? If they had some knowledge of his behavior and still voted him on the board, why did not one person speak up and say wait a minute, does this man belong on our Board? According to the minutes of the Souderton School Board on June 22, 2023: “Board members Mr. Nelson, Mr. Kwiatkowski and Mrs. Flisak all expressed support of the appointment of Mr. Formica to fulfill the vacant seat on the Board.”
Then, only 3 weeks after Formica was appointed to the board, he started disgorging more hate on social media for all to see. He continued with rants at fat shaming women, about slavery being beneficial to learning skills of enslaved human beings, hate speech against Michelle Obama, berated teachers a third time, advocated to hang a sitting Judge, and lastly stated that Vice President Harris performed sex acts. Even when all these posts were revealed in or about July 2024, Nelson, Landis, and Flisak pretended not to notice or to show any concern whatsoever. See: https://righttoknowsouderton.com/formica-timeline
The sheer silence of Nelson, Landis, and Flisak’s is appalling and abhorrent to all common decency. They each chose to ignore Formica’s words or hold him responsible in any way. Why? An English proverb states, “Silence is half consent.” Meaning when someone remains silent in a situation where they should speak out or object, it can be interpreted as a form of agreement or acceptance. Thus, they have chosen, by their silence, to impliedly approve of his behavior.
Their time on our School Board is up.
Nelson Landis and Flisak’s disregard for the truth has only bred distrust among parents, teachers, and the wider community. Their indifference has fostered a sense of cynicism and apathy as opposed to a sense of pride in our district. Souderton has become the butt of cartoons. We have been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Nelson, Landis, and Flisak’s collective silence has normalized harmful actions and created a culture where accountability is evaded!
Their time to lead has passed.
Elected school officials who turn a blind eye to what is right do not deserve a say in the governance of our schools. After one year, the time “for processing the situation” is over. Their actions, like the incoming tide, have eroded our schools’ good name and the community’s trust.
Truth matters. Trust matters. Souderton deserves better.
Taxes also matter! The Souderton Silent Team of Nelson, Landis and Flisak are not so strong when it comes to fiscal management. They have voted to increase our taxes each year with a total tax increase over last 3 years at a straight 13.35%! Compounded, the percent increase is even higher! Souderton simply cannot afford four more years of Nelson, Landis, and Flisak.
New leadership is needed now to stand up and fight for fairness and real respect for all We need leaders who will focus on delivering results for our students and community. Leaders who will build up our school’s spirit and reputation, not on shifting sands, but on solid ground that starts with recognizing and modeling our “Character Counts” values for our children.
On Tuesday November 4, 2025, vote for the Souderton Area for Responsible Leadership team: Wisser, DeGeiso, Souchet and Buetikofer.
