5 Detroit school board candidates running as ‘anti-fascist’ slate calling for Vitti’s firing

October 1, 2026

Five candidates affiliated with the activist group By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) are running together as an ideological slate for the Detroit school board in November's election, which could significantly reshape the district's leadership. Their primary campaign focus is removing Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, whom they criticize for closing small schools due to low enrollment and budget concerns—a justification they compare to tactics used by previous state emergency managers. The candidates argue that Michigan owes the district funding because of debts accumulated during emergency management, and they plan to use board positions to pressure state legislators while organizing protests.

Who is affected

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti (targeted for removal)
Students and families at Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School (slated for closure)
Former students and families from four recently closed schools: Ann Arbor Trail Magnet School, J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy, Catherine Blackwell Institute, and Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School
Approximately 50,000 students in Detroit Public Schools Community District
Nicole Conaway (BAMN candidate and former DPSCD teacher who was fired in 2022)
The five BAMN candidates: Liana Mulholland, Nicole Conaway, Tabrian Joe, Elizabeth Ann Williams, and Shawn Vaughn
30+ other candidates running for school board positions

What action is being taken

BAMN is running five candidates as a coordinated slate for the Detroit school board
The candidates are campaigning on a platform to stop Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School's closure
The slate is publicly calling for Superintendent Vitti's firing or resignation
BAMN continues leading protests and school walkouts in Detroit

Why it matters

This election could drastically reshape Detroit's school district leadership, as it represents the largest turnover in board membership since DPSCD was created in 2016. The emergence of an explicitly ideological slate reflects a national trend of increasingly polarized school board politics following the pandemic, moving away from traditional nonpartisan approaches to local education governance. If successful, the BAMN slate could fundamentally alter the district's approach to school closures, budgeting, and superintendent oversight, potentially creating significant friction in day-to-day operations given the candidates' stated unwillingness to work collaboratively with current leadership. The race also highlights ongoing tensions about how Detroit schools are managed and funded in the wake of state emergency management.

What's next

The November school board election will determine four full-term seats and one partial-term seat
If elected, the BAMN candidates plan to attempt stopping Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School's closure (scheduled for the end of the current school year)
The slate intends to organize in Lansing and pressure state legislators to secure additional funding they believe is owed to DPSCD
If the candidates win, they would seek to fire Vitti or push him to resign (which would require Detroit Financial Review Commission approval)

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com