Open Letter to Molly Spearman

The following letter has been sent to Molly Spearman, Superintendent of the South Carolina Department of Education.

Dear Supt. Spearman,

 

I am writing to request your help in dealing with Richland 2 School District.

You are probably already familiar with the January 25, 2022 incident at a Richland 2 board meeting, when Mrs. Pamela Davis, wife of Supt. Baron Davis, created a disruption that resulted in two white men being kicked out of the meeting and being put on Trespass Notice by Richland 2. The District failed to investigate the matter and did not discipline either Pamela or Baron Davis. I filed a complaint with your office against Pamela Davis and awaiting a determination.

I am writing to request your help with Richland 2's violation of its Administrative Rule KI-R, which allows a designated security officer to "issue a verbal or written 'no trespass' notice for the school facility". The District has issued a No Trespass Notice to me that bans me  from "...any and ALL [emphasis in the original] Richland School District Two properties, facilities, campuses and buildings..."

The District is apparently having difficulty in understanding that "facility" is singular; it means "the (one) facility" where an incident occurred. 

I have filed complaints against Richland 2's employee who has exceeded his authority by issuing the No Trespass Notice beyond its limited scope and also against the Administrative Rule itself. The Rule provides no guidelines for duration and no provision for Due Process. The employee has denied me access to a property other than R2i2 and also to the Richland County Public Library, which leases its Sandhills Library from the District.

The District refuses to process my complaints against the employee and the Rule.

Will the South Carolina Department of Education assist me to 1) requiring Richland 2 to process complaints duly-filed and 2) to require Richland 2 to comply with its written Administrative Rule and to cease improperly and unlawfully expanding it?

Sincerely,

Gus Philpott

Resident, Richland School District Two

847.971.7083

cc:  Gov. Henry McMaster

       Attorney General Alan Wilson

       Scott Price, Executive Director, SCSBA

       Jamie Devine, President, SCSBA