Appoint Special Counsel

The Richland 2 school board should appoint a Special Counsel to investigate the controversial events that took place at the closed session of the board during the Special-Called Board Meeting on April 28, 2022.

Word had started to leak out about the incident, and on May 5, 2002 The State newspaper published this article, updated today (May 6), which described Teresa Holmes' as having filed a report with the Richland County Sheriff's Department (RCSD) about threats made during what the District has called an executive session. Was it a "report" or was it a "complaint"?

The original article said Teresa reported that another board member got into it with a colleague on the board. That's three people involved; Teresa (reporting), one board member, and another board member (colleague).

Today's revised article, second paragraph, reads, "Chairwoman Teresa Holmes filed the report with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department after a special called meeting April 28, during which another board member reportedly cursed another member and threatened to 'beat her Mo....Fu.....A..,' according to the report." 

Is that still three people involved, or is Teresa the "victim" at whom the alleged threats were hurled?

If the reporter got most of his information yesterday from the RCSD report, how accurate was the report? I have filed a FOIA Request for the report, so that I can read it myself.

The updated article includes comments from some board members. It does not state at whom any threats were directed. What's the secret? 

Where is the statement from Richland 2 Media Relations? They were so quick to publish a statement defending the superintendent after the January 25th incident.

The District cannot be trusted to investigate itself. Certainly, employees of the District are not going to investigate board members. Since all board members were at that meeting, they cannot investigate themselves. The superintendent, who is employed by the board, is not going to investigate them.

The public should demand an independent outside investigation, regardless of any action taken by RCSD.

A Special Counsel should have been appointed at the end of January to investigate everything that took place on January 25, just before the board convened its regular meeting. Teresa Holmes refused to investigate what happened, passing the buck off to RCSD which, in only one day, decided that no crime had been committed.

Let's review the crimes that were committed on January 25. Disruption of schools? Disorderly conduct? Assault? A woman becomes disruptive in the meeting room, shouting loudly after a man (I) attempted to introduce himself. According to a 14-year-old student in the room, that same woman used profane language toward him twice. The superintendent, who is the husband of that woman, is alleged to have charged at a man who intervened as the woman was swearing at the student and was allegedly restrained by school district security officers and one or more board members.

Had an honest board of trustees carefully examined all the FACTS of that incident, they would have been forced to discipline the woman (a teacher in Richland 2) and the superintendent. And they would have ruled that the Trespass Notices delivered to Gary Ginn and me were unwarranted.

The public should show up at every board meeting and demand a public investigation of what occurred on April 28. The next board meeting is Tuesday, May 10, 2022.