At Thursday’s school board meeting, Columbia resident Mike Resch commented publicly about bullying in the district. He told how his wife stopped a bully who was beating up another student just off school property. According to Resch, the victim, who had a “fat lip,” told his wife that it was the fourth or fifth time he had been beaten by the same bully. He said his wife then called the police, who responded and told her not to get involved.
“I’m not going to stand and wait for the police to come when a child’s getting beaten,” Resch said.
Resch then referred to the many emotional pleas from residents who had spoken at the meeting. “Everything I’m hearing from these people – and the emotion that you feel coming out of them – these things have to be true,” he said.
Resch then turned his attention to Director of Operations Tom Strickler and asked if he bullies people into his way of thinking. After asking the superintendent and board president if he could respond, Strickler replied, “No Sir.”
Resch then asked if new board members swear on the Bible when an oath is administered. When a board member said, “Right hand up,” Resch asked Strickler to place his hand on the Bible while answering the question about bullying. An audience member brought forth a Bible, but the board disallowed the action.
Resch said there are a few school board members who are doing a very good job, but the majority are “yes men” for Strickler. As Resch asked another question, Board President Cole Knighton said, “This is the time for public comment, Mike.”
“This is public comment,” Resch replied.
“Why not? That’s the whole problem here,” Resch said. “We’re always looking for answers, and we’re not getting them. You’re elected officials, and your responsibility is to each and every one of us. It’s not a position for you to fill your ego.” As Resch tried to continue, audience applause drowned out his comments. When the applause subsided, Resch said the board should be fighting for the people of Columbia and added that it is not being done.
Columbia Spy 
I thought that it was a good idea to send my two kids to Columbia and I did. Knowing all that I know now, I would not make that choice again. It was a mistake on my part. They are no longer living in Columbia, one is in Hempfield Township and the other is in York County.
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First off, please name the Police Officer, we need to address the ignorance my tax dollars are paying for.Second, Cole Knighton needs to be removed..
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A MERGER not a “SHARE.”
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To the board member who was sent to Fran's house….We know who your are!Information is now coming out that you made other visits as well. More to come!!!Wonder who might have sent you on these visits. Sorry to see that you have been used and probably bullied by that same person. The grand plan of deception is coming apart, little by little.Are you prepared for the consequences of the ethics inquiry??
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Some people who have much to say, want to come forward at these meetings but are afraid of vengeful attacks on their friends, relatives , or their children. This is real. This is the reason they do not speak out. Taxpayers should never feel this way, but when little tommy and his group are gone, and honest ,trustworthy, people take their place ,more taxpayers will become involved and progress can be made. Right now, taxpayers do not trust several board members or Hollister .
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Maybe this particular board member relishes in unethical behavior. This person may not have been persuaded at all, may have volunteered. You know there are always those followers and pleasers. It may be as simple as that BUT I do believe she is headed for eminent danger unless she resigns.
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Do these people know the seriousness of violating the ethics laws of Pa? I worked in Harrisburg and this is not something to blow off and believe what someone may tell you about this not being real. If you are involved in ethics violations, you need to be seriously concerned.
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When a narcissist is caught they normally play the role of victim and blame others for their problem. The victim role is played by admitting nothing, denying everything, making counter accusations and blaming others. Does this sound familiar? A narcissistic bully is the worst kind of bully to deal with.
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These people are in it for the money and kick backs only!! Trust me when i say this!!
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Cole…this is local government, the back bone of our country. You most certainly do have to answer. Local meetings are the place for the exchange of ideas and thoughts between both sides of the table. Please don't be smug and hide behind the term “public comment”. You and the rest of the board need to engage in conversation as most local government boards do. If you can't or refuse to do it you need to step down as you are doing a disservice to the community.
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Oops!! Did I say “she”? Guess the cat's partly out of the bag now.
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What's the matter with all you “anonymous people”! Why are you afraid to let these “school board bullies” know who you are? I know I will be told I have no business commenting about this because I don't live in Columbia. But I just HAD to support my friend, Mike Resch and Fran Resch in their efforts to bring some sanity to the town I grew up in. Proud of you, Mike! Keep the pressure on in every way you can until these cowards face the problem they have allowed to go on for so long!!! Thankful that Columbia still has people like you & your brother who care enough to speak up and don't hide behind the mask of “anonymous”.
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What money??
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NO threat implied, one wrong does not make another wrong right. By having adult presence at intersections would hopefully give kids being bullied a feeling of safety and/or protection so to speak, that is all. Bullying is a SERIOUS offense that needs to be addressed. Children should not have to be subjected to bullying.
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Agree. Some of these “kickbacks” are known and can be proven. They will soon be made public.
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Agree with you Ed, but you must remember that some people such as teachers and others need their income and others must protect their children's high school years when they feel threatened by unethical leadership. There are sometimes when being anonymous and gathering information to share with others has it's place. Congratulations to you and Fran And Mike for speaking for those people.
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Hollister is setting Columbia School District up for failure….that's the ploy with this arrangement!
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LET'S PLAY CONNECT SCHOOL BOARD BULLING DOTS:Park School cafeteria manager retires.Taylor School cafeteria manager, a taxpayer, is told that she must transfer to Park or quit. She chooses to retire.School board person ,that visited Fran's house unethically, abstains from vote that installs daughter in cafeteria manager job at Taylor.Connect the dots. Get a picture.Anyone have the stomach for this crap? Stay tuned , more to come.
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Look at Cole Knightons face, he has a smirk on it! Love to wipe that off for him!!
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Fear for your Property if you speak out!Ghetto
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OK, “Anonymous 7:19 AM,….I feel ya! I never gave any thought that the leadership in Columbia had THAT kind of “fear mongering” power!! That really stinks for all of you that have to be subjected to such fear tactics. But you all better do SOMRTHING soon or the bullies will outnumber the good folks. If you allow the bullies to control the student population and the cowards to run the school district, you're going to end up with the same kind of environment that we have in America!!! The criminals run this country. The leadership thumbs it's nose at the Constitution and the lawmakers allow the murder of over 56,000,000 unborn babies since 1973!!! The Supreme Court has become the Supreme Destroyer of all that is good and holy in America!!! Ya gotta do SOMETHIN' soon or the good kids will be outnumbered and could become extinct!! 😦
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I haven't lived in columbia for many years, but still have the columbia heart. Been following the situations in columbia via the columbia spy. With all the newspapers shutting down and no print reporters covering local governments, i believe the readers of this site owe cole umber a large debt of graditute for his coverage of the school board and boro council. Where What would you know without him.
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I agree.amen
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Good job you tell it the way it is
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Without this site, many Columbians would be lost. Sharon Lintner does a great job for LNP, but the editors limit what she reports. But the Spy covers a large void. You both do a great job.
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Just wanted to add Barry Ford to my last post. Barry worked as a reporter for the old Columbia News when it was still in circulation and followed with the first Columbia News internet site. Thanks guys!
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I agree about the Supreme Court. They should never be appointed for life and they are destroying this country by their liberal interpretation of the Constitution. Our founding fathers are probably rolling over in their graves. It is said no democracy has lasted far more than 200 years. Do the numbers 1776-2016. If we do not get leaders soon, America will fall.
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To Cole Umber. Thank you for this forum for people whose core values are defiled by these unethical, egotistical school board members and their leader, the director of bullying. We talked several months ago just before Strickler was granted this con job by Hollister. I will be calling you in next several days regarding new information from some recent research . This Hollister -Strickler connection may soon blow wide open. This whole plot sickens me to the core.
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Well, the Constitution states in Article III, Section 1:” The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.”So you want a rigid following to the Constitution, yet don't want the judges appointed for life, even though it says so right in the Constitution???? Makes zero sense. Even Hamilton in the Federalist No. 78 wrote: “The standard of good behavior for the continuance in office of the judicial magistracy is certainly one of the most valuable of the modern improvements in the practice of government. In a monarchy it is an excellent barrier to the despotism of the prince; in a republic it is a no less excellent barrier to the encroachments and oppressions of the representative body. And it is the best expedient which can be devised in any government, to secure a steady, upright, and impartial administration of the laws.”You seem to be against one of the basic founding principles of this country.
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A coward hides behind weak people and sends his weakest followers out to do his dirty work,such as early morning recruiting missions for selected possible ex board members , information gathering visits to employee homes to gather information on administrators, and controls results of secret paper ballots on evaluations of administrators.The reward for unethical behavior of school board members in Pa. is a felony conviction , $10,000 fine , and possible jail time.
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Where is the specially dispatched female ambassador of badgering other board members going to get this money?
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Beware of Ford, he lost his site
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Thank you very much, but no praise is necessary. I strongly feel that there is a need to cover local news. Cole does not collect a single penny for all the hours he puts into his website. News includes good and bad. The people need to know all of it, otherwise we do not have a democracy. Printing only good news is censorship. We sincerely appreciate the encouragement.
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It's pretty tough when bullying takes place among the board members. A losing battle.
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