Ruth Crowe, a graduate of Allendale High School, is not only an artist but also a member of the schools’ athletic Hall of Fame. Last year Crowe asked to bring parts of her work, The Journal Project, to her alma mater for an educational program. The program would be followed by a student field trip to see her work on exhibit at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts.

On November 14, 2022, at an Allendale school board meeting, a recommendation was given to “Approve the Purchase of SC4A Course and Ruth Crowe Field Trip.” The motion was made and seconded. During the subsequent discussion, Vice President Anna Hendricks played a video clip in which Crowe stated that her work was a “little political and sometimes very political.”

Hendricks noted concern due to Allendale School Policy 3231 which prohibits politics in the classroom.

Nonetheless, the board voted 5–2 in favor of the motion. The Allendale art students would experience Crowe’s workshop and then visit her exhibit in Saugatuck.

On January 9, 2023, newly elected members of the Allendale Board of Education participated in their first meeting. This came shortly after Ottawa Impact seated eight new county commissioners. The overturn of the commissioner board brought ensuing controversy. Emotions ran high. The local media had an all-out field day deprecating Christian conservatives and anyone remotely connected to Ottawa Impact.

On January 27, 2023, an article appeared in Pridesource citing the controversy in Ottawa County—controversy that now, apparently, included Crowe. In the article, Crowe claimed that there was pushback from the schools. Her quote reads in part, “I think the number one reason (for the pushback) was because of the gay issue, but I also think the mental health issue is part of it.”

Crowe’s sexuality has not been mentioned in this article until now because it never came up when her proposal was presented to the school board.

During the board discussion no one said a word about her sexuality. The only concern voiced during the meeting was over Crowe’s own admission that her project was a “little political and sometimes very political.”

In the Pridesource article, Crowe claimed she was “appalled” that two board members voted against the adoption of her project.

On February 10, 2023, Crowe’s art exhibit, The Journal Project, opened at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, which is scheduled to run through May 12, 2023.

Not stopping at being appalled, Crowe showed up at the Allendale school board meeting February 13, 2023, to chastise the board for denying her project and rescinding their invitation because of her sexuality. At the same time she asked to be taken out of the athletic Hall of Fame. She claimed a letter circulated in social media alleging that her sexuality was the reason two votes went against her project. Even Father Cramer from a local church jumped on TikTok to drum up support for her.

In a Facebook post February 17, 2023, on a group page called Ottawa Objects, Crowe claimed that the two members who voted against her were affiliated with Ottawa Impact—another fact that was demonstrably wrong.

Hendricks and board member Kevin Holstege, the other “no” vote, were both elected to the school board in 2020, a year before Ottawa Impact existed. The Ottawa Impact school board members elected in November of 2022, weren’t even in office when the motion passed. As previously mentioned, the first meeting of the new board was January 9 of this year.

Allendale Superintendent Dr. Garth Cooper stated at the March 13, 2023 school board meeting, “This project was approved during the November board meeting. Our students participated in this project throughout February and this project is going to culminate with our art students taking a field trip to the Saugatuck Arts Center this week to see Ms. Crowe’s (The) Journal Project.” He added, “At no time did any administrator or board member make a statement that Ms. Crowe was not welcome at Allendale Public Schools.”

On March 14, 2023, Crowe confirmed her participation with Allendale students on her Facebook page, RUTH CROWE ARTist: “I’m doing a hands-on workshop this morning with students from ALLENDALE High School at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. It’s eliciting mixed feelings for sure but mainly always happy to engage with kids and showing them how one artist made it through life and how art & journaling can help them too.”

The Allendale Board of Education approved Crowe’s proposal. No board member alluded in any way to her sexuality. Allendale students participated in Crowe’s project which culminated in a field trip to see Crowe’s The Journal Project.

So why did Crowe speak out against Allendale and request to be removed from their Hall of Fame? Why is there so much controversy over this situation? Is this another manufactured crisis?

We don’t have to look far for the truth. Crowe stated it, not only in the PrideSource article but also on a social media post.

She was “appalled” that two members voted against her project. One member of the Ottawa Objects page commented on Crowe’s Facebook post, “I was at the meeting where the workshop was passed. Ruth is calling out the Ottawa Impact members who voted against it for political reasons. (Rightly so.) Correct me if I’m wrong, but Ruth, you decided to pull out based on those votes even though the curriculum was passed. Correct?”

Crowe’s response, “Yes. Primarily.”

Let’s look at the facts again.

1. This was never about her sexuality.
2. The board members who voted were not endorsed by nor did they run with Ottawa Impact.
3. Crowe’s feelings were hurt because two people voted against her.