The Little Miami Board of Education says 38 people have applied to fill the Board's vacant seat left by former member Dan Smith.
Smith resigned a few weeks ago after social media posts he made denying the Holocaust and praising Hitler were publicized. The Board of Education quickly accepted his resignation and requested applications from district residents to take his place.
The first few months of 2026 have been eventful for the school board. Shortly before his resignation, Smith and fellow members Mandy Bullock, Diane Horvath, and President David Wallace voted to remove a small pro-LGBTQ poster reading "Hate Has No Home Here" from the wall of a Little Miami High School classroom, declaring it "sexual content." The poster contained images of a heart-shaped American flag alongside several Pride flags.
Board member Wayne Siebert was the only one to vote against removing the poster.
During a board meeting last week, Wallace told the community the Board was beginning the process of reviewing candidates for the seat. Still, some questioned whether board members can be trusted to hand-select their newest member.
Several Little Miami students and parents scolded board members for voting to remove the poster, saying it empowered some students to bully disabled and minority students. One parent also claimed it was Wallace who initiated the complaint to the school district to have the poster removed.
Others demanded board members denounce Smith and his pro-Nazi comments. Bullock, who successfully campaigned alongside Smith in 2025, told the audience she didn't know Smith held those beliefs.
"Yes, we ran together. We both were endorsed by the Republican Party." Bullock said. "I had no idea those were his feelings. I do not have those same feelings."
Wallace was more reluctant to denounce Smith. In the face of growing pressure from the audience, he eventually called Smith's comment "disgusting" before quickly moving the meeting to executive session.
As the Board reviews candidates for Smith's replacement, whether Wallace can fairly judge candidates was called into question.
In the past year, Wallace has sued several people tied to the Little Miami School District, including the district itself, the superintendent, current and former board members, and some community members for defamation. A complaint filed by Wallace against district officials was dismissed by a Warren County judge.
Little Miami parent Scott Gierach said some people Wallace has sued have applied for the open seat and suggested the Board remove Wallace from the selection process to avoid a conflict of interest.
"I would ask at a minimum that this Board openly debate and discuss whether it does make sense to recuse a member who has initiated legal proceedings against 1-in-8 candidates for this open position," Gierach said.
Board members did not directly respond to Gierach's request and have not publicly shared a full list of 38 applicants.
One name the Board was asked to consider was David Whiting, who ran for a spot on the Little Miami Board of Education in previous elections but fell short.
Whiting hasn't been sued by Wallace, but says he and a few other applicants he knows personally haven't been interviewed or received a response from the school board despite their qualifications.
"I haven't heard a thing," he told WVXU. "The only thing I know is what's in legislation, which says they have 30 days to fill the vacancy."
Little Miami Board of Education policy says an appointment to fill a vacancy must be decided by a majority vote of the Board's remaining members. They have just a few weeks left to hold that vote.
WVXU reached out to Wallace for comment, but he did not immediately respond.
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