Matt LIED about football games.
On August 28, 2025, Matt posted this online:
Look at that paragraph beginning "to do so requires a board majority."
He's implying that the Board made the decision to move to 6:00pm start times for football games.
He's further implying that it was Kacy Deschene, Jeff Simon, and Michelle Langenfeld who made the decision.
THIS IS A LIE.
As the Superintendent reported at the August 25, 2025 meeting, the decision to move football start times to 6:00pm was made by many schools in a large region. Their reasons included safety, less stress on law enforcement, and the fact that schools that had already done this saw an increase in attendance.
At the August 25 meeting, it was JEFF SIMON - not Matt - who brought this up and asked for a further review to be done. Matt simply agreed with Jeff.
But he's taking credit, and he's blaming people who had nothing to do with it.
Shouldn't a School Board member be honest with the public?
Shouldn't a member of the School Board SHOW UP?
Matt has repeatedly shown the public that he doesn't put in the time to be an effective and responsible member of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board. He doesn't show up to do the work outside of Board meetings.
For example, multiple people have contacted Matt Audette Says to share that at a working meeting (before they were recorded), Matt once said he didn't have time to read the meeting packets because he has a full time job. He suggested he was too busy.
Hm. That has never stopped Kacy Deschene or Jeff Simon (or any other member of the Board who held a full time job).
But we know that's hearsay, so let's look at some definitive proof.
The League of Women Voters Candidate Forum
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization that has been working to educate voters and improve voter engagement since
1920. They endorse no candidates. In the North Metro, the LWV ABC (Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids) chapter holds Candidate Forums for every electoral race, including School Boards.
At these forums, candidates get to answer questions directly from the public.
On September 10, the LWV held Candidate Forums for the Anoka-Hennepin School Board races.
MATT AUDETTE DIDN'T SHOW UP -- but his opponent ABBEY PAYEUR did.
Watch Abbey and Matt's LWV Forum.
Read more about Abbey Payeur.
LORRAINE COAN didn't show up, but her opponent KACY DESCHENE did.
Watch Kacy and Lorraine's LWV Forum.
Read more about incumbent Kacy Deschene.
TIFFANY STRABALA didn't show up, but her opponent JEFF SIMON did.
Watch Jeff and Tiffany's LWV Forum.
Read more about incumbent Jeff Simon.
Anoka-Hennepin deserves elected officials who actually SHOW UP.
And, we deserve elected officials who actually DO THEIR HOMEWORK.
On September 8, Matt was talking about budget cuts that would affect teachers. Along the way, he inadvertently revealed he hadn't done his homework. He admitted that he's never tried to learn what all of our teachers do.
Matt talks a lot about where he thinks the budget should be cut.
Usually he's talking about programs that don't exist like "CRT" or ones that do like Character Strong and Leader In Me.
At the Sept. 8, 2025 working meeting, he suggested that schools were employing teachers whose jobs weren't clear.
Matt's had three years, eight months, two days and counting to ask those questions.
Instead, he studied for the test the night before.
Doesn't Anoka-Hennepin Subdistrict 4 deserve a School Board rep who will actually do their homework?
MATT EXPLAINS WHY HE DOESN'T GO TO HIS ASSIGNED COMMITTEE MEETINGS
In an email exchange with one of his constituents* on August 29-30, 2024, the constituent wrote:
Matt replied:
* The writer sent us the communication and gave permission to use their name, but we have chosen to omit their name so as to reduce the chances that they will be harassed by Matt's supporters.
(Matt went on to write about how CRT needed to be cut out of our schools...
...even though it's not actually being taught in our schools.)
Because Matt realized he was in the minority and wouldn't get his way, he decided there wasn't any reason to actually BE there.
Shouldn't a School Board member actually put in the work, even if they disagree with the outcome?
SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY
On Septmber 10, we took a look at Matt's social media content, along with Kacy Deschene's and Jeff Simon's.
(Kacy is running for reelection in Subdistrict 3, which is Champlin, Dayton, and part of Coon Rapids).
(Jeff Simon is running for reelection in Subdistrict 6, which includes parts of Coon Rapids and Andover.)
What we found told us something: Kacy and Jeff have been all over their districts since filing for re-election.
They take the time to celebrate their schools and communities.
On the other hand, Matt has minimal reporting about his area, his schools, his community.
It sure looks like Matt doesn't show up.
BOARD CORRESPONDENCE REPORTS
At the end of every scheduled Board meeting, the Chair offers members a chance to make a "Board Correspondence Report."
As the Chair always says, "This is our opportunity to share happenings in our communities or report on our Committee assignments or other items of interest."
In other words, it's the time for members to actually share what they've been doing outside the regularly scheduled meetings.
In 2024 and 2025, there were 29 televised Board meetings.
Matt reported on what he was doing in Subdistrict 4 ONCE. One time.
(Contrast that to Kacy Deschene, who is also employed full-time outside of the Board, who made NINETEEN reports.)
It sure looks like Matt only rarely does stuff when the cameras aren't rolling.
