Rep. Jeff Shipley connected the murder of a Fairfield teacher to a student charged in her killing being denied a voucher to leave the public school over his family’s disagreement over masking policy.
During floor remarks, Shipley cited an April 21, 2021, Fairfield School Board meeting in which a parent of one of the two students accused of killing high school Spanish teacher Nohema Graber asked the school board to provide his family a voucher.
According to the district’s archives, the only April meetings the school board held in 2021 were on April 12, 19, and 26. However, Dean Goodale is listed in the minutes of the April 12 meeting as speaking out on the district’s mask mandate. His son, Jeremy Goodale, is one of the student’s on trial for murder.
[inline-ad id=”1″]
“This parent offered public comment—telling the board in no uncertain terms—the life of his 10th-grade son was, in his words, ‘seriously negatively impacted by a particular school board policy,’” Shipley said, referring to masking.
“If you go back and watch the comments, it’s basically a desperate plea for help.”
Shipley goes on to say that Dean Goodale asked the school board for a voucher or school choice to help his son.
Graber’s body was found in a Fairfield park Nov. 3, 2021, hidden under a tarp, wheelbarrow, and railroad ties, according to the Des Moines Register. She had been beaten to death with a baseball bat. Jeremy Goodale and his classmate, Willard Miller are accused of committing the crime.
“This student should be getting ready for graduation, unfortunately, he’s on trial for first-degree murder,” he said.
by Ty Rushing
01/20/23
[inline-ad id=”0″]
If you enjoy stories like these, make sure to sign up for Iowa Starting Line’s main newsletter and/or our working class-focused Worker’s Almanac newsletter.
To contact Senior Editor Ty Rushing for tips or story ideas, email him at ty@new.iowastartingline.com or find him on social media @Rushthewriter
Iowa Starting Line is part of an independent news network and focuses on how state and national decisions impact Iowans’ daily lives. We rely on your financial support to keep our stories free for all to read. You can contribute to us here. Also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
