Who is Thomas Sowell?

 

Do you know who Thomas Sowell is?

Take five minutes out of your business day and watch this short video. It will be worth your time.

Keep your pencil and paper handy for some book titles you may want to jot down.

The Board's Majority

Which people sitting at the front of the board room control the school board? There are four.

Teresa Holmes. An unemployed former guidance counselor and lead teacher in the Fairfield County School District, who quit her job on short notice on August 1, claiming to be retiring. She identified as an "assistant Administrator", but that's not how Fairfield County School District responded in a FOIA answer. She wields a heavy hammer at board meetings, often disregarding Robert's Rules of Order and talking over other board members. Holmes is not a legitimate board member. She has never taken the oath of office legally.

James Manning. Long-time board member and State employee. Vice Chair of the Board for the 2021-2022 school year. He recently flipped to the side of The Squad and nominated Holmes as Board Chair on June 29, 2020, in spite of my plea to the board during Public Participation that only fully-qualified board members should be nominated and elected as officers of the board.

Amelia McKie. Board Secretary for the 2021-2022 school year. She, like Holmes, took the oath-of-office illegally on November 13, 2018, a full three weeks before she filed the required Statement of Economic Interests Report on December 4, 2018. Like Holmes, McKie has never taken the oath of office legally. She illegitimately as Board Chair from November 13, 2018 until June 30, 2019. On June 29, 2020 she was not eligible to be nominated as Board Secretary, but she was, and she was voted in. McKie owes $57,100 in fines to the South Carolina Ethics Commission. Since the amount owed has not been declining, she appears unable financially to make payments on her fines.

There is a $51,750 Judgment against McKie in the Richland County Common Pleas Court. Case No. 2019CP4003809  was filed on July 10, 2019. The South Carolina Department of Revenue is the collection agent for the Ethics Commission, but it appears ineffective in wringing any money out of McKie. In fact, her fines now total $57,100.

When McKie filed her 2021 Statement of Economic Interests Report with the Ethics Commission, she did not report any income from a S.C. Governmental Entity. Hello? What does she think Richland School District Two income is? That's where you report the $800/month trustee salary! She reported consulting income only from NLLC (whatever that is). McKie also reported no Family Members' Income, although she had done so in previous years. 

What is McKie living on? Doesn't she have a husband, whose income from LHI was reported on previous SEIs? Does she still live at 47 Hunters Pond Drive (29229)? She filed using a P.O. Box in 29229, which means the Ethics Commission doesn't know where she lives. Does she still live in the District?

Cheryl Caution-Parker is the fourth member of the majority. She often has little to say in board meetings, just keeping her seat warm and collecting her $800/month for showing up. She achieved fame twice recently; once by rudely saying "Tough!" to fellow trustee Monica Scott, when Trustee Scott was trying to get her seconded Motion opened up for discussion. All in the audience noticed that Caution-Parker was not criticized by the Chair for speaking disrespectfully toward a fellow board member.

Holmes had completely disregarded Robert's Rules of Order and also disregarded the Point of Order stated by another board member.

The second bout with fame was when Caution-Parker achieved publicity in The State newspaper on November 4, after parents in the courtyard in front of R2i2 after the October 12th board meeting alleged that Caution-Parker uttered a "F*ck you" at one of them.

I emailed Sheriff Lott to ask that he obtain a report from the deputy who was escorting Caution-Parker to the parking lot as to what he had heard.

Why can't board members walk to their own cars without a deputy to escort them? Are their feelings getting hurt by parents expressing irritation, even anger, at them during board meetings? NO ONE has threatened any board member! Yet the District has been buying RCSD services for 2-3 deputies at every meeting for more than two years.

ALL FOUR of these have terms expiring in November 2022. The best thing that could happen in Richland Two would be for all four not to be re-elected.