Despite re-election loss, Ogletree a model of public service

John Ogletree is the definition of a public servant. But one of his most treasured positions, a school board trustee, has just been taken away from him because of his advocacy for diversity and inclusion in the district. 

He is the pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Houston, has served on the board for Fellowship Southwest since its beginning, serves as the president of the Pastors for Texas Children board, and has just wrapped up his eighteen-year service on the school board of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (the third largest district in Texas). 

Pastor O, as everyone likes to call him, is proud of the time he spent on the Cy-Fair school board. He served as their president for two terms. During his tenure, the district’s student population changed from 70% white to 70% non-white. In 2020 he oversaw the installation of a diversity and equity policy in the district. His children and grandchildren are products of the district, as well as many of his church members. He has been a strong advocate of the district’s motto:  “Opportunity for All.”

Pastor O says that he has no regrets or hard feelings. And this is a testament to his character and his faith. Because many of us have hard feelings on his behalf. 

The November election resulted in a sweeping victory for the far-right Cypress Tea Party. Three incumbent school board trustees were up for re-election. They all lost to candidates who ran on an anti-Critical Race Theory platform. 

However, the candidates were not just running against CRT. They also ran a smear campaign against the Rev. Dr. John Ogletree. After the murder of George Floyd, Pastor O spoke out, bearing witness to the collective grief of the Black community. After the insurrection of January 6, 2021, Pastor O again spoke out, bearing witness to the collective rage of all decent American citizens. 

Apparently, this was enough to categorize Pastor O as an anti-white racist. His opposition even created a hateful website that took his statements out of context and spread lies about him. The candidates who ran against him spoke about the dangers of having someone like him on the school board, and that he does not reflect the “family values” that they do. 

Pastor O, reflecting on their campaign, noted this: “What’s scary is that some of them believe they were doing God’s will by getting [the incumbent ‘liberals’] off of the school board.”

The attacks against Pastor O were so carefully crafted, that they tore at the fabric of community he had built over the years. His friends in the faith community, fellow pastors, would not speak out in his defense, for fear of association. It would not be good for their reputations. 

And so, on November 2, 2021, the direction of the Cy-Fair ISD school board was altered, and Ogletree, along with two other long-term incumbents, were defeated.

As often happens, local elections don’t get the attention they deserve. In this case, voter turnout was excruciatingly low. Many people who live in that district and could have voted, did not. They were not aware that any of this was happening. 

That is because we voters do not always pay close enough attention to our local politics. School board races, city council races…these are where extremists are starting to be laser focused. They know it is where real change can happen. And they know that the vast majority of people are not paying attention. 

We are so grateful to the leadership of John Ogletree, and we celebrate his dedication and advocacy for all students, and his commitment to the gospel truth, no matter the cost. May we follow in his lead.