KEARNEY, Neb. — A school board member in Kearney will not face a special recall election.

The Buffalo County Election Commissioner says the circulator of the recall petition against Dave Brandt didn’t turn in the petition by the 5:00 p.m. deadline on Friday. 

Brandt, who was elected to the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education 2020, came under scrutiny after he left a school board meeting during the public comment section of discussion on a controversial agenda item. Brandt later told local media that he left the meeting for about an hour to attend his son’s orchestra concert. He returned in time to cast his vote on the first reading of a proposed transgender sports policy. The policy restricts participation in sports to the student’s biological sex at birth. It passed first reading 4-2 with Brandt voting against it. It was adopted at a later meeting through the consent agenda.