Recall Terri Cunningham-Swanson

If you’ve heard about the recall of Terri Cunningham-Swanson in the small town of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, you’re probably wondering what the hell is happening there. There are interviews and websites about the endeavor to remove her from their local school board, and time is short since ballots are due January 9. The thing is, none of what you see gives you the whole picture. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to break down the entire situation for you.

First, here’s the short, short version, for those who are morbidly curious, along with a disclaimer: neither these posts nor this website are affiliated with Terri Cunningham-Swanson or the Committee to Recall Terri Cunningham-Swanson. We’re just watching this from outside the area with a bowl full of popcorn and hoping voters in Plattsmouth make the right choice. It’s kind of like a train wreck, and we have every intention of diving even deeper into other Nebraska train wrecks. Now, the story.

The Short, Short VersionĀ 

Terri Cunningham-Swanson was elected to the Plattsmouth Community School Board in November 2022. She moved there looking for strict conservative Christian values and pretended to care about a school district about which she knew — and according to what we’ve seen posted by parents, teachers, and her own admission — still knows – nothing.

With what she learned from the ridiculous propaganda film The Mind Polluters and the Cultural Marxism Conspiracy Theory, as well as similarly psycho women like Tiffany Carter of Mama Bear 29:7, she skulked around the Plattsmouth high school and middle school libraries until she put together a list of 52 books she personally doesn’t like, despite having never read them. She then got the superintendent on board with violating school board policy and removing the books from the shelves, pending review. This happened from the moment she took office in January 2023 through about April 2023.

Students and parents found out, cried foul, protested, and attended the May 8, 2023 board meeting to object. Terri then went to the only people who would sympathize with her plight to eradicate literary representation of LGBTQIA characters, people of color addressing racism, kids dealing with depression and difficult life situations, and more. She built a small base of fellow toxic white nationalist supporters who she whipped up into a hateful frenzy, which resulted in neighbors yelling “pedo” and “groomer” at those who want Terri, not the books, removed. But she also claims she’s a Christian and loves everyone. To quote her directly from her December 18, 2023 interview with Scott Voorhees, “I love every person, you know.”

Eventually, the results of the review came back, Terri threw a fit at the October 9, 2023 board meeting, forced the discussion to be tabled for a month until the November 13, 2023 board meeting, and then 7 of the 8 board members present voted for the books to go back on the shelves. The recall petition effort against her progressed to an actual election and she cried to all the white daddies who would listen — the VP of the Cass County GOP, Kirk Penner of the State Board of Education, and Robert Clements.

The vote is happening right now, so let’s wish the people of Plattsmouth luck in getting rid of this book banning granny.

Want the deep dive? Stay tuned!

More about Nico Emerson

Nicolette "Nico" L. Emerson is an observer of politics in small town Nebraska, especially as it pertains to education, school boards, and adults who want to decide the direction of the next generation.