FOP President Brian Steele 4-9-2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So there was a heated confrontation involving CPD officer, school
principal caught on body camera video the school secretary. Who
is this first piece of audio that you'll hear the
school secretary expressing reluctance in letting the officers into the school.

(00:21):
And keep in mind they were called. The officers were
called by someone there at the school, and so this
is the first this is the first interaction that this
officer has again, this is from the bodycam video dealing
with the secretary at this school. Listen to this.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
I'm here on official police business.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
I get that on this radio for the sense to security.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
Just have to wait for him to come in here
to pay us. Okay, okay, okay, I'm just.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Saying, how by the rules.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Okay, we have authority over safety and security. Do you
understand them? Columbus, my principle, you not flu with my
principal to me.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
So she tells me, God for you guys to wait.
You're not the first one to go through this.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
I'm just going by the rules. I'm going by the rules.

Speaker 4 (01:15):
Yeah, I I'm just going by the rules.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
That's it. What exactly are the rules?

Speaker 1 (01:24):
I'll tell you what the rules are you have an
officer of the law who's you're in his jurisdiction. Those
are the rules.

Speaker 3 (01:31):
That's it, end of story.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
I don't care if you're a school. It doesn't matter
what you are.

Speaker 4 (01:37):
Sometimes circumstances supersede rules. Okay, I mean we're in the
parking lot after the show tonight, yak and talking about whatever,
and you get mad because the Blue Jackets didn't win
by enough. Last time you have a heart attack, I
don't care what the speed limit on Dublin Road is.
We're hitting triple digits as I get you to the hospital.
Screw the rules. Prudence is required here.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
I'm just going know you're not the first person to
go through this, you know, given this situation, I feel
like he was, uh, he was pretty calm.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Very restrained.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
He was, yeah, pretty pretty calm, all right, and then
this so then this happens with the principles. Shortly after that,
this was exchange here. This is like a minute long.
Listen to this.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
If we have an emergency at the school, I should
not have to I should not have to explain to
this woman why I'm here. I don't come here for
my party time. I come here on official priest business.
This is a game we've been playing for years. This
is a game we no longer want to play with you.
You should be welcoming us. You should you called us

(02:41):
if you don't want me here, and if you want
me to beg you to get through that door, don't
call me there.

Speaker 5 (02:48):
Okay, Well, I'm not really sure all that happened, but
it's all on recording on body camp. Well, okay, but
I just came up here because I heard some noise
going on. I heard my second having to argue or
whatever was going on. What I do know is, and
I want to make sure this is on camera too,
we found a lot of disrespect by some of the

(03:09):
members of the Columbus Police Department, including yourself, sir.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Well.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
Then the other caveat too that.

Speaker 5 (03:15):
We've been told from our district, is that you that
the police don't just can't just go all over the
building and do whatever you want to do.

Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yes, they can.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
She also said, I followed district protocol and the only reason,
let's be honest, I do not feel comfortable even interacting
with you. She said to the officer, I don't feel
comfortable interacting with you. He is FLP president Lodge. I'm
Brian Steele is joining us right now. And Brian, that
audio is absolutely staggering, just shocking to me. And I

(03:52):
read your statement that you not statement, but the letter
that you sent to doctor Chapman and Conneglio. I think
that's how you pronounce it. I read, you know, following
district protocol. Uh you were like saying, that's the thing
that concerns you most, the repeated reference to following district

(04:13):
protocol when engaging with officers actively investigating a dispatch call
regarding a I think it was a bomb threat? Is
what was?

Speaker 4 (04:21):
A student had said he was going to blow up
the school or something like that, so they called.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, I I And again I read your letter, Brian,
And to listen to this audio is it's a head
scratcher for sure. And I'm sure you've gone over and
over and over this and uh so what are your
thoughts and what has actually happened since all of this
has started.

Speaker 6 (04:41):
Yeah, well, it's the most one of the most cringe
videos I've ever saw. And this is a principle of
a school. This is the CEO of the school. This
is the person you know, or steering the ship for
a School of Children, and and and you wonder why
we have some problems in our city school district. I'll
tell you what. I do. Believe this is an outlier.
I've had nothing but good interactions with schools. I talked

(05:05):
to Chief Brian today. Chief Brian assured me that she
will be working with school officials to try to address this.
And like I told Blasier, like I told Chuck yesterday,
you know, I'll give it a little bit to wait
and see how this pans out. I support my officer
one hundred percent. The veteran officer did a fabulous job.

Speaker 3 (05:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
I still don't even understand how he stayed so calm,
because in the middle of something like that, it felt
so it felt so wrong on so many different levels.
Watching her and when the principal, Natalie James, when when
she was saying the stuff that and I didn't have

(05:44):
the actual audio where she's like, you know, I follow
district protocol. What exactly is she talking about there? I
don't as far as district protocol. You guys are law
enforcement and you supersede as far as any district protocol,
is it her district protocol to say? And she's like,
let's be honest, I don't even feel comfortable interacting with you.

(06:06):
What does that mean is that that feels like something
personal was brought into it.

Speaker 6 (06:11):
At that point it is personal. She clearly didn't like
the police. She didn't like that She's not in charge
right there. When the police show up, they have authority,
the these are these are duly appointed peace officers in
a state of Ohio.

Speaker 4 (06:24):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (06:24):
The officer could have put her handcuffed and walked her out.
I mean that that is a possibility, and I think
he did the right thing. He de escalated and just said,
you know what, I'm going to report to something my
chain of command, and I'm gonna let the powers to
be handle it, which I applaud.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
Him for that.

Speaker 1 (06:38):
You know also too, given the way the whole thing started,
he was probably thinking, all right, when we get the
principle in here, things will probably go the correct direct
actually got worse. I mean, like when you when you
hear the one going, uh, you know, her reluctance to
letting him in the school, I'm just going by the
rules and saying that he's gone. What is this cloud world?

(07:00):
Where am I at?

Speaker 3 (07:01):
Like?

Speaker 1 (07:01):
What is happening here? I think I'm being punked. Remember
that old show with with what's his nuts? Ashton Kutcher.
He goes, I think I'm being am I unpunked, Like
what's that? And you go, Okay, we got the principal
in here, Okay, everything was probably gonna get the ship
will be righted here, and then all of a sudden
it ends up basically getting worse. I I am in shock.

(07:21):
And again I'm glad that he didn't arrest her. I
mean clearly you're saying, you know, look he could have
or whatever. I'm glad that it did because that probably
would have just escalated stuff and then it would have
somehow there's no way that would have been that would
have ended up a black eye somehow, even if he's
one hundred percent justified in something like that. But I'm
glad it didn't go to that. But Chuck was even

(07:44):
saying last night, Look, he doesn't advocate for people to
get you know, thrown out of their gig or whatever,
but he was saying, look, in this situation, she doesn't
deserve to be in charge of something like that with
with those kids. Luckily there wasn't. It feels to me
and I think think this is the case there ended
up not being an emergency there inside the school.

Speaker 3 (08:05):
Correct, That's right.

Speaker 6 (08:07):
It turns out there was a student, The student made
a hoax. The student will be dealt with accordingly. Like you,
I'm glad, I'm glad the officer didn't try to arrest her. Look,
our police aren't trying to go out and arrest principles,
Like I mean, this is the whole thing is so ridiculous.
But what do the parents want. Do the parents of
that school want an officer there on a call to
be stopped at the door, or do they want the

(08:29):
officer to go and perform their duties and assure their
kids are safe. I would say it would definitely be
the latter.

Speaker 1 (08:34):
Well, And also the secretary was saying that she had
to get their security first to allow them to allow
the police into the building. Now, look, I also know this.
I think I know this, Brian, about the guys, they
and gals of law enforcement. They're trained. If there was
something that was pressing right that second, screaming down the hall, smoke,

(08:56):
you know, something that would indicate, holy cow, something's going
on here, it wouldn't have even that conversation would have
never taken place. He would have just high tailed it
to wherever the problem was or wherever that kind of
stuff was going on. But again, thankfully none of that
was happening at this particular time. And I still I'm
just dumbfounded how I was, like, let me, let me

(09:17):
get our security to make sure you're allowed.

Speaker 3 (09:19):
Here comes Paul Blart to escort the police officer. That's
all we need.

Speaker 6 (09:22):
The mal well, you just hit it. And the officers
are some of the most dedicated men and women in
central law enforcement. If there was and I just want
to put the public at ease, if there was some
kind of active threat and active shooter and some principal
tried to say you can't come in, they would drive.
They would drive the cruiser through the wall to get
in to save those kids, so they wouldn't have been stopped.

(09:44):
And again, these are veteran officers. I appaued them. They
did a great job. If they if there's any indication
they're to discipline to anything, the FLP we were behind
them one hundred percent.

Speaker 5 (09:54):
Of the way.

Speaker 1 (09:55):
You know, also, I can't help but think in these
situations that I know you probably do too, Brian, I
and I don't want to put words in your mouth
that you weren't quoted as saying this, But you know
when you see this principle her and even this school
secretary and all of that, and you know, given that
the principle was like, you know, I follow desert protocol
and the only reason, let's be honest, I don't feel
comfortable even interacting with you. They're the first ones if

(10:18):
they're being accosted to go, please help me, Please help me,
help me. You know, They're always the and that's that
for me, is the first thing usually that I think
of in these situations when I see what is just
complete total lack just disrespect for law enforcement in a
situation where he's going, look, you called me, but I
think they're the first ones going, you know, if they're

(10:39):
being robbed or something happened or whatever, they're going to
be the first ones call and go please help, you know,
kind of a thing.

Speaker 6 (10:45):
So sure, she out of disdains to law enforcement. She
clearly had a bias against law enforcement. She's got her
own issues. But now, unfortunately every single person in the
United States probably knows this. This video went absolutely viral.

Speaker 1 (10:57):
Yeah, yeah, he is be president lodge Nin' Brian Steele, Brian,
I know you're real busy today, and thanks for jumping
on with me. I appreciate it.

Speaker 6 (11:06):
Thank you, everybody appreciate your time.

Speaker 1 (11:07):
All Right, we'll see you.

Speaker 3 (11:09):
One other things.

Speaker 4 (11:10):
Yesterday when I was talking to him, they've got a
generic email and he could not even confirm that his
email to the superintendent had been received. Read whatever, I'm
I'm I'm pulled by that. You're the FOP president, him,
the police chief, the mayor, city council president, the Department
of Public Safety. Had all those people ought to have

(11:30):
direct communication. You don't send an email to a generic
box and hope that the other person is receiving it.

Speaker 1 (11:37):
It's a great point.

Speaker 3 (11:38):
That's crazy, man, that's great point.

Speaker 1 (11:41):
Absolutely great point. I'm sure we'll we'll see it. Followed
up and yeah, that's uh, this is one of the
stories locally, like he just pointed out, went viral and
now nationally everybody knows how much of a clown these two.

Speaker 3 (11:56):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
The interaction was, it's a head scratched