COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus City Schools community expressed their shock and outrage Tuesday night after a document created by board member Brandon Simmons was leaked. The document detailed ways to “dominate the board room” and drive a wedge between their opponents. The leaked document was titled, “Taking Control of the Task Force Narrative.”

The document in question is a draft of a proposed strategy for handling opposition to the district's plan to close school buildings and was first released publicly May 21 by the Columbus Education Association, the union representing the district's more than 4,500 teachers and other educational professionals, after a school board member shared it.

Late Tuesday night, the district released the report alongside nearly 200 public records, many of which had been sought by The Dispatch. Vera said the report "concludes that board member Simmons was the sole author of the document" that is a draft of a proposed strategy for handling opposition to the district's plan to close school buildings.

The leaked 6-page task force memo includes things like dividing the teacher union from other staff, moving meeting locations between the two at the last minute, and calling opponents of the school board “dangerous,” all in an attempt to control the narrative of what the task force is proposing.

A leaked six-page document details a strategy on how to take control of the narrative of the task force. The memo includes ideas such a driving a wedge between the teachers union and other staff, moving meeting locations at the last minute and packing meetings with administrative staff supportive of the task force’s work.