A candidate for the Grand Ledge Board of Education is defending himself against allegations of domestic violence, anger control issues and abuse found in his second divorce court file.
Some allegations arose against the candidate, Jason Devenbaugh, when a mailer from the political organization Michigan Deserves Better quoted his estranged brother and his first ex-wife against him.
Devenbaugh, who is running on a slate of three conservative candidates for school board, called the mailer a “smear” on Facebook.
“For the record, it amuses me that everything on this mailer is a lie,” he said in the video response.
On Monday, Devenbaugh admitted to having an anger issue, dating back to his first marriage and divorce. That was an allegation made in the mailer by his first ex-wife, Wendi Pennfield, but denied by him a week ago.
“Admittedly I have anger issues, my temper was short,” he wrote. He said he traced his anger from having been a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by an uncle.
Devenbaugh previously called the allegation of anger issues and his second ex-wife’s personal protection order against him “lies” in a Facebook video posted the weekend of Oct. 1.
His Monday statement did not explain why he had denied the mailer’s allegations previously.
“She filed for divorce claiming violence and anger issues,” Devenbaugh wrote on his Facebook campaign page. “The Friend of the Court recommended she file for a PPO. There was no violence and no police reports claiming any violence.”
The conservative slate comprises Devenbaugh and Ashley Oneil, who are seeking full six-year terms on the board, and Kim Laforet, who is seeking election to a partial four-year term. They are running against incumbent Denise Dufort and Ashley Kuykendoll for the six-year slots and Toni Hughes Glascoe, who is seeking the four-year term.
Devenbaugh declined to answer questions in a face-to-face meeting at his work place. Nor has he responded to emailed questions.
Court records from Jackson County Circuit Court obtained by City Pulse show that there was a PPO issued against him in 2012. The PPO was issued at the beginning of a divorce proceeding brought by Nicole, his second ex-wife, who was pregnant with the couple’s second child at the time the PPO was issued.
City Pulse was unable to independently verify the PPO allegations or review the file. Those files are not public in Jackson County.
The PPO was not the only information divorce records in Jackson and Ingham counties revealed.
The 2012 Jackson County Circuit Court file on his second divorce revealed Devenbaugh sent text messages and images threatening to kill himself, one of which was directed at his minor son. A judge ordered Devenbaugh to have a psychological exam as a result of those text messages.
In his statement, Devenbaugh said he “passed” the exam but did not go into details. While awaiting the results of the exam, he was allowed only supervised visits with his minor son.
In 2014, Nicole Devenbaugh alleged in a filing for a change in visitation and custody that their minor daughter had returned from a visit with Devenbaugh with bruises on her “leg (back of thighs) and her tailbone, lower back and upper arm.” A CPS investigation was opened in this matter. The investigation was subsequently closed, and the reports are not public. His visitation and custody arrangement was not changed as a result of the allegation. Devenbaugh did not address this allegation in his statement.
In that same filing, Nicole Devenbaugh alleged he had not paid child support in the previous four months. The records do not show whether that was accurate, nor did the records indicate any finding by the courts related to that allegation. He did not address that allegation in his statement either.
His Ingham County Circuit Court divorce records show he sought a nullification of his support order for his oldest children. Those children were the product of his marriage to Pennfield. In his pleadings to end the support order, he said he had a new family to care for and was the sole provider. The new family was his third wife and her children.
City Pulse could not locate Devenbaugh’s second wife, Nicole. Devenbaugh’s first wife, Wendi Pennfield did not keep an appointment for an interview. City Pulse is not identifying the minor children of Devenbaugh to protect them.
Laforet called the mailer “half-truths.”
“It has nothing to do with his position of being able to run as an effective member of our school board,” Laforet said. “We‘re not dealing one on one with kids, or anything like that. We’re dealing with the issues.”
She called the information a “deflection” from a recent arbitration ruling by former Supreme Court Justice Robert Young about the dismissal of former Grand Ledge Superintendent Brian Metcalf. Young ruled the board violated Metcalf’s due process rights in firing him. Young awarded Metcalf $880,000 in what remained of his contract and $75,000 in damages.
“I stand by Jason. I have gotten to know him over the years. What he has done in in his past he has dealt with,” Laforet said. She said Devenbaugh had discussed his divorce and anger issues with her and Oneil.
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