A Tennessee school board member who advocated for “parent choice” and was backed by a member of the right-wing group Moms for Liberty has resigned after being accused of swiping goods from Target.
Keri Leigh Blair, 43, was arrested and briefly tossed in jail on Jan. 5 for allegedly stealing $728.61 worth of stuff during seven shopping trips at a Target in Collierville, according to Fox 13.
Police said in an affidavit that Blair—who was released on $7,500 bond—would “skip scanning items at the self-checkout,” with amounts ranging from $63.38 to $140.49. All of the incidents took place between Nov. 25 and Dec. 20, 2023.
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Blair joined the Collierville school board in November 2022, advocating for parent choice and slamming “social agendas,” the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported last year. Her campaign was backed by Patricia Woodard, the treasurer of Shelby County’s Moms for Liberty chapter.
In a statement, the Shelby County chapter insisted it never endorsed Blair.
“The Shelby County Chapter of Moms for Liberty did not endorse Keri Blair or any candidates there in 2022. Blair was also never supported financially by the chapter or the larger organization,“ a spokeswoman said.
On Wednesday, Collierville Schools shared a statement saying Blair had resigned for “personal, family reasons.”
“Chairman Cox wishes to express his thanks for Ms. Blair’s service to the community and her commitment to public education in Collierville,” the statement said.
