It didn't take long for the board meeting last night (12/14/2021) to disintegrate into disorder.
Facemask-less Teresa Holmes gaveled the meeting to order (4:53) with five raps of the gavel. One would have been enough.
If you were there when the public meeting re-convened, as I was, you saw it live. The board was late in re-convening. When it did, it didn't take long at all for the bickering to resume.
If you weren't there, you can waste a big part of your day by watching the recorded version at
livestream.com/richland2 The recorded version at 04:53 on the timer. Notice the duration of the meeting shown in the lower-left corner: 5:16:08. That's FIVE HOURS, SIXTEEN MINUTES, 8 SECONDS (including the executive session).
Don't miss Teresa's rings. You would definitely not want to run into her in a dark alley late at night. South Carolina has a law against brass knuckles. I wonder if those silver rings she wears would be considered weapons. They look dangerous to me!
Of course, I couldn't see them from the Back Forty, to which the audience is related during meetings. Going to a board meeting in-person is like sitting in the nose-bleed section of a football game.
Notice how Teresa can't even get the words right after asking for discussion, after the motion to go into executive session is seconded. She says, "Seeing [sic] none, we'll take a hand vote." Question: How do you "see" discussion???
The vote to go into executive session was 6-0-1. Trustee McFadden abstained from the vote. Early warning, folks. Stay tuned for the action! Late in the meeting there will be an important message from Mrs. McFadden.
Do you detect anything about Teresa's attitude as the meeting starts. If you don't see it yet (as you watch the beginning of the meeting), you'll recognize it on the recording and see it when the public meeting re-convenes.
When you see the rest of the meeting, you will see why Teresa Holmes has to go. Not only is she an illegitimate member of the board, having never taken the oath of office legally, she is fully into Power Mode as she attempts to conduct a meeting.
At 1:16:45 on the recorded broadcast, the public meeting shows the seated board. McKie makes a motion regarding the ending of the executive session. Teresa halts the motion because she is not logged in. Why not? Why didn't she do that upon sitting down, so that she would be ready to go? Teresa announced that the hand vote was "Unanimous". Was it?
NOTICE THAT TERESA IS NOT WEARING HER FACE SHIELD!!!
(Watch what happens later in the meeting when Trustee Agostini tries to introduce an agenda item to remove the face mask requirement.)
At 1:17:51 McKie introduced the Inspirational Moment, which was a "saxophone choir" from Richland Northeast High School. At 1:19:25 they began to play. The Inspirational Moment was over at 1:22:24. They played; there was nothing inspirational about it at all. (It sounded better in-person than on the recording.) Frankly, McKie's verbosity is sickening. Is she auditioning for a prize at Toastmasters?
At 1:23:30 McKie asked all to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. BUT THERE WAS NO FLAG IN THE ROOM. The superintendent apologized for the room set-up error after the Pledge.
At 1:24:37 approval of the night's agenda was asked. Here come the Fireworks!
Trustee Agostini asked why the Resolution for Parents' Rights was not on the agenda, as it had been submitted last Thursday (three days before the meeting, as required in Board Policy). Teresa stated that her question would not appropriate for that part of the meeting, but it could be addressed at a later time. Trustee Agostini called a Point-of-Order. Teresa ignored the Point-of-Order and kept talking. Mrs. Agostini repeated "Point-of-Order". Teresa said, "Let's move ... any other discussion on that?" Mrs. Agostini said it is appropriate, because the board is considering the approval of the night's agenda.
Teresa completed ignored Robert's Rules of Order. If a chair does not rule that a Pont-of-Order is "well-taken", then the board must vote. Teresa either does not know that or knows it and ignores it. Watch Teresa's smug expression during the electronic voting. Be sure to read the Minutes of this meeting to see whether the recording secretary included Agostini's Point-of-Order.
This was the first time in this meeting that Teresa "ran over" another trustee.
The vote to approve the Agenda was 5-1-1; i.e., 5 in favor; 1 No (Agostini)-1 Abstain (McFadden).
