Check out this story about a Loudoun County (Va.) School Board member Beth Barts. There is a vicious fight going on between the school board and parents who oppose Critical Race Theory (CRT).
That crisis needs to come to Richland 2.
The article is about comments allegedly posted by Barts to a social media group and then deleted when an investigation began.
But here's the part that brings Richland 2 school board to mind. Toward the end of the story is this sentence:
He (Ian Prior) pointed to a Virginia law that makes it illegal for a public official to “destroy any record… in his keeping and belonging to his office” under punishment of being “forever incapable of holding any office of honor, profit or trust under the Constitution of Virginia.”
Two members of the Richland 2 school board (actually one member and one usurper) use email addresses that are off the school district's server. Teresa Holmes (illegitimate board president) continues to use "docholmesschoolboard2@gmail.com" for her email address, and Trustee Monica (formerly, Elkins) Scott uses "puttingstudentsfirst2012@gmail.com"
Each should be required to use only a District email address for all official email communications. Why?
One of these days both Holmes and Scott will be former school board members. At that time, or even sooner, either could delete her gmail account or any message in it. It is under her control, not the school district's.
Why is this important? Official school district-related emails are to be a permanent record. They are subject to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. This means that, at any time - now or in the future - they might be needed for the District to respond to a FOIA Request.
If Holmes or Scott deleted her account or decided to delete certain messages in that account, the District would be unable to respond honestly to a request for public information.
I've raised this issue with the Board previously. The first time I raised it, I learned that the District may be relying on advice from the South Carolina School Boards Association that a school board member can use a private email account. Supposedly, that allowance was made for the smallest school districts in the state that couldn't afford their own email server. That certainly doesn't apply to Richland 2, which is one of wealthiest districts in the State.
Thereafter, my request fell on deaf ears.
I shall request the Board once again to create a new Board Policy that requires all current and future board members to use only a District-based email account for all official communications. Will you join me by contacting board members and supporting this very simple request?
