Pike board ousts president, installs felon-pending educator amid toxic dispute

Sherie Scott secured a position on the Pike Township School Board on Tuesday, defeating incumbent Board President Terry Webster Sr. Scott, a longtime educator, received 26.5% of the vote in unofficial results. Webster finished fourth and lost his seat.

The election marked the first time Indiana school board candidates could list a party affiliation on the ballot. More than 50 candidates competed for 31 seats across ten school boards in Marion County. Incumbents Alonzo Anderson and Wayne Moore also won re-election in Pike Township.

Scott faces a pending Level 6 felony domestic battery charge and a misdemeanor filed in October. Indiana law prevents anyone convicted of a felony from assuming local office. The charge has not yet resulted in a conviction.

The leadership shift occurs amid community frustration over the board's handling of internal disputes. Board members have made vague accusations about a toxic climate created by district administrators but have declined to share specific details with the public or media.

Unofficial results from the Marion County Election Board show that top three candidates won seats in Beech Grove City Schools, the MSD of Decatur Township, Perry Township Schools, the MSD of Pike Township, and the MSD of Warren Township. The top four candidates won seats in the MSD of Wayne Township. No specific winner names were released for Franklin Township Community School Corp., Indianapolis Public Schools, the MSD of Lawrence Township, or the MSD of Washington Township.