Point-of-Order AND Robert's Rules of Order

The following email has been sent this morning to all board members, a legal expert on Robert's Rules of Order, the outside attorney for the school district, the employee General Counsel for the District, the superintendent and three reporters.

At last night's contentious school board meeting, a serious parliamentary error occurred numerous times.

Robert's Rules of Order addresses Point-of-Order in several sections, beginning at §42 Assignment of the Floor; Debate

See also, §62 REMOVAL FROM OFFICE ... MISCONDUCT and Remedies for Abuse of Authority by the Chair in a Meeting. §62.2 ff

Rise to your feet and state "Point of Order"

Chair must recognize the member

Robert's Rules is clear what to do next.

You could have (and should have) removed Holmes from her position as Chair at last night's meeting.

§62.10 Removal of Presiding Officer from Chair for All or Part of a Session

I strongly urge you to hire Attorney Helen McFadden to return and conduct an intensive training on Robert's Rules of Order. Last night's meeting was an embarrassing shambles of vitriol and disrespect by the chair, toward other board members and toward the public. 

Holmes and McKie are not legitimate members of the board, because neither has ever taken the oath of office legally. How much longer will you allow this condition to continue? And, because they are not legitimate board members, they cannot serve as officers. The board made a serious error on June 29, 2020 in electing Holmes as chair and McKie as Secretary.

S.C. Code of Laws 8-13-1110 reads "SECTION 8-13-1110. Persons required to file statement of economic interests.

(A) No public official, regardless of compensation, and no public member or public employee as designated in subsection (B) may take the oath of office or enter upon his official responsibilities unless he has filed a statement of economic interests in accordance with the provisions of this chapter with the appropriate supervisory office."

Holmes and McKie took an oath on November 13, 2018.

Holmes and McKie filed their SEIs on December 4, 2018.

Ask yourself: Did they file their SEIs before they took an oath of office?

Gus Philpott