A Michigan school board is facing intense backlash after censoring one of its own members for revealing a behind-the-scenes push to raise taxes — and now Republican Rep. John James is stepping directly into the fight.
At the center of the controversy is Rochester Community Schools Trustee Carol Beth Litkouhi, who filed a lawsuit on Feb. 3 accusing the district of violating her First Amendment rights. According to reports, Litkouhi was censured and stripped of all committee assignments after she publicly disclosed a plan to place a new tax measure on the ballot.
That plan, described as an “Enhancement Millage,” was reportedly being prepared by school boards across Oakland County for a potential August 2026 vote. Litkouhi detailed the effort in an October 30 op-ed, effectively blowing the lid off discussions that critics say were meant to stay out of public view.
The fallout was swift. On Nov. 10, the board moved to punish her.
Appearing at a March 9 school board meeting, James didn’t hold back. He framed the situation as a direct betrayal of public trust, opening with a blunt message drawn from his military background.
“In the army, we had a saying, Mission first, people always,” James said. “You cannot accomplish the mission working against the people you serve.”
He then zeroed in on the board’s actions, accusing officials of coordinating messaging behind closed doors and expecting silence from elected representatives.
The Rochester school board secretly planned a tax increase and told their own elected trustee to keep quiet. She refused and told the truth. They censured her for it, refused to stand for the Pledge, and tried to silence me when I showed up to defend her.
Michigan deserves… pic.twitter.com/GJjN7B42cg
Should elected officials be punished for revealing tax plans discussed in private?— John James (@JohnJamesMI) March 9, 2026
“School officials briefed you behind closed doors, handed you a message to sell a tax hike to voters, and told you to stay quiet,” James said.
He contrasted that with Litkouhi’s decision to speak out.
“You said no. You wrote the truth,” he told her. “And for that, the board censured you, stripped your committee assignments, adopted a written gag rule, and silenced an elected official.”
The confrontation quickly expanded beyond the immediate dispute. James pointed to another incident in Rockford, Michigan, where a family alleged school officials encouraged their child to adopt a different gender identity without parental knowledge. According to James, the parents had to hire a lawyer just to get answers.
Meanwhile, Litkouhi’s lawsuit is now moving forward, setting up a legal battle that could determine whether elected school board members can be punished for speaking publicly about internal decisions.
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