Katy ISD Board of Trustees candidate for Position 6 Joe Wojcik announced this morning that he has dropped out of the race, effective immediately. Wojcik cited increasingly hostile and vitriolic commentary centered around the race for his withdrawal.

“(The toxic behavior) reached a pinnacle for me when I read on the Facebook Katy ISD Community Forum, responses to a video posted by a Position 7 candidate,” Wojcik said. “Most comments were vile and offensive, at one point even attacking the candidate’s wife, while disguising and excusing their comments as ‘tough questions.’ There were no ‘tough questions.’  It was all vitriolic rhetoric, purposed to tear down the candidate’s character.”

Wojcik’s withdrawal leaves incumbent Susan Gesoff facing off against Bonnie Anderson, William X. branch II, Garima DasGupta and former trustee Rebecca Fox for the Position 6 seat.

In leaving, Wojcik said he wished the process of selecting who sits on the board of trustees was as apolitical as it is supposed to be in theory, but candidates the overall discussion had turned into a political debate rather than one about the candidates’ platforms which he felt should be nonpartisan and about supporting children and education.

“I had never considered the BOT to be a political position. But, it’s very evident that others feel differently.  I had expected challenges from, parents and others, expected my qualifications questioned, but didn’t expect concentrated efforts to destroy my personal credibility or the credibility of other candidates,” Wojcik said.