(WXYZ) — The cell phone tower standing on top of Washington Elementary in Wyandotte has been creating chaos for faculty and families for months.
"I can't get it through my head why none of you have a voice while I am up here shaking... you guys will all get what you deserve you guys are despicable," Ali Cotner a parent of a Washington Elementary student said during Tuesday's night school board meeting.
That meeting added gasoline to the fuel between the district and their decision to allow T-Mobile to build the 5G tower while parents feel like there is not enough research to prove their children won’t be harmed.
"I've been basically against it since day one, but the problem is, I am the only one," Frank Tarnowski a former member of the school board said. He effectively resigned from the board, a decision that felt like a blow to families who felt he was their only advocate at the big table.
"What took me to the point now where I resigned? I seen the motion of brief. I've seen the motion of brief where they want to take themselves out of the lawsuit but what they are stating is the same synopsis as T-Mobile. So who are we working for," Tarnowski said.
What he's referring to is the lawsuit parents filed against the school board and T-Mobile which placed a hold on the cell tower's use until June 30th.
Tarnowski says even though he is no longer on the board, the fight isn’t over.
"I basically have done everything I can do here. I filed for the 27th district for State Rep against Jaime Churches. I think the only way I can get anything done is to fight in Lansing," he said.
All members of the board and T-Mobile have filed to have the lawsuit dismissed. The school board approved the contract with T-Mobile back in 2018 and the school will receive $1,000 a month for the space. If the district backs out, it could cost them millions.
