Richland 2 Board: GET A PARLIAMENTARIAN!!!

I'm watching the board try to make its way through the Draft Agenda item for its February 22nd meeting. This is part of the February 8, 2022 meeting. You can see it on livestream.com/richland2, starting at 3:12:10.

If you wonder why board meetings run so long, fasten your seatbelt, take 3-4 aspirin and try to endure the drivel and unnecessary remarks being made.

Why doesn't the Board hire a Parliamentarian? A professional would quickly shut down the superintendent, Amelia McKie, James Manning, and Cheryl Caution-Parker. Oh, sorry; I mean DOCTOR. CHERYL. CAUTION. PARKER.

When the trustees speak, they should stick to the point, say succinctly what they have to say, and stop talking! McKie gets diarrhea of the mouth, Manning takes off on tangents, the superintendent takes one breath and can talk for more than a minute (when a Yes or a No or a 10-second comment would suffice), and Caution-Parker admits to being old and not remembering things.

After a motion has been made and seconded, all discussion should be on-point. No political speeches are necesssary. No rambling about how many parents call. Whatever is said should apply to the motion. Anything else should be shut down.

 

Holmes can't tell the difference. This is why a Parliamentarian is needed.

I was told today that the Draft Agenda item took an hour to get through. At 9½ minutes into discussion, the board has handled only one motion. Now they are in the second motion. Whew! How much longer????

They spend considerable time discussing whether they are going to have a discussion. The points being raised belong in discussion of the item if it gets to an agenda item, not just arguing about whether to even put it on the agenda.

This is the problem with the majority of the board. They don't realize they are there to direct a business.

Why happens after 3:29:33? That's for another day!

Open Letter to the School Board

The following email has been sent to the Richland 2 school board, superintendent and media.

Members of the Board and trustees-elect Holmes and McKie,

At the February 8, 2022 board meeting members of the audience and virtual attendees were subjected to a speech by Craig Khanwell that far exceeded his First Amendment rights. He issued threats - direct threats, even saying "That is a warning! and "We're not playin' wich [sic] you."

Board Policy was violated. Khanwell should have been interrupted and cautioned. If he continued in the same vein, he should have been gaveled into silence and escorted off the property with a Trespass Notice. Why did the board chair tolerate that speech? Why did the board chair allow him to address and berate the audience?

Khanwell seemed to be basing his comments on the false and misleading statements issued by the Richland Two media department and by Pamela Davis' false statements on WIS-TV.  Many of his statements were erroneous. 

Pamela Davis was not accosted. No women are being threatened at R2i2. No board members leave the building in fear. There is no "white supremacy race theory" there.

Holmes should not have permitted slander in Khanwell's remarks. But she didn't make a peep. Nor did the superintendent. Nor did Manning or Caution-Parker or McKie. 

Will you now permit violent, race-based, accusations and threats at board meetings? You allowed Khanwell to so speak. 

The Richland 2 public is owed a sincere apology.

Gus Philpott

* Holmes and McKie are addressed as trustee-elect, because they have never taken the oath-of-office legally. They are illegitimately in office. Also, McKie owes $57,100 in fines to the S.C. Ethics Commission.

Read what Craig Khanwell said

Here is what Craig Khanwell said at the February 4, 2022 school board meeting:

Good evening, madam chair, board, and the audience. 

Mr. Riesh, you’re gonna need more help than from the board. You’re gonna need help from the citizens in this county. You’re gonna need help from those who don’t like the fact that 80% of these students are black and brown, and don’t like the fact that black history is being taught and American history is being taught to these students. You’re gonna need help from those whose mind is so thick with white supremacy race theory. Not critical race theory, but white supremacy race theory, that they are driving themselves insane – to the point that a man’s wife is not even safe in this building. To the point that a man’s wife is being accosted by a white male whose belief in white supremacy is so thick and so deep that they could not stand the fact that she doesn’t want to have a conversation with them because she fears their presence in her space. But they didn’t respect that because in their minds they still have that attitude of white supremacy they couldn’t stand the fact that she said No. See, these attitudes have become beliefs, hard  _____ beliefs and these beliefs have now become policy, and these policies have become institutions and systems that are put in place to keep you – Negroes – in your place. 

You don’t like what I’m saying, but I’m not here to mince words with NONE of you, and we all are sick and tired of this kind of behavior. (gestures at audience) And we are not going to allow you to threaten our women any longer. That is a warning! We don’t threaten yours. You don’t threaten ours. If she says she don’t [sic] want to talk to you, leave her alone. So all you men in here, act like a man and not like some Trump. And then deal with respect. And none of these board members need to leave here in fear, and this man (pointing to Baron Davis) shouldn’t be threatened. ‘cause he’s been threatened! You think this is 1900? 1850? Nooo, these days are different now. We got a whole ‘nother generation on scene. 

If you don’t want this kind of foolishness to explode in your face, I’m asking members of the audience to get yourself together, because some of us have no fear of what you are trying to do. And we gonna stand against you with everything that we have. 

So I’m sorry to be loud, but I want to make a point here. We’re not playing wich [sic] you. Get your act together. (Pointing at audience) and respect these people. (Pointing at board) Do your job. Do it well. It’s okay to have disagreements, but be civil. 

But (pointing again at the audience) that kind of behavior better not EVER – EVER (shouting into microphone) happen again. NEVER again. 

Source: livestream.com/richland2  (1:46:30)

Can citizen file complaint for violation of Board Policy?

Can a citizen file a complaint against a board member for violating Board Policy?

(Acting) Board Chair Teresa Holmes should have shut down Craig Khanwell on Tuesday night, February 4, 2022, when he ran off on his racist rant during Public Participation. 

Now that the limits are known, the Richland 2 School Board can expect a much higher level of verbal and emotional expression.

It will be okay to repeat the false statements issued by the Richland 2 media department and to issue threats toward racial groups. Khanwell was allowed to threaten white people in the audience. Will Teresa allow white speakers to threaten blacks? Will she allow other blacks to threaten whites?

What I know is that white people in Richland 2 do not threaten black people. 

If a black woman feels threatened, intimidated, in fear by the polite words, "Hello, I'm Gus Philpott", then I would recommend therapy. 

Should a white person speak at the next school board meeting, turn around toward the audience, and yell, "DON'T YOU BLACK PEOPLE EVER - EVER - FEEL INTIMIDATED BY A WHITE PERSON WHO SPEAKS TO YOU POLITELY! WE WILL NOT TOLERATE THAT!"

That will never happen. 

And what else will not happen? I shall not be intimidated into not speaking to a black man or woman I don't know. I've made some great friends by introducing myself to people I did not know. 

When I was observing the protests in front of Sgt. Pentland's home in April, did I get upset with blacks who surrounded me and or by one black man who shouted, "WHITE PRIVILEGE" repeatedly at me? The 150 black protesters shouted, gestured, waved signs, yelled through bullhorns. They expressed irritation toward me, because I was not joining in. They accomplished absolutely nothing there.

The board chair, The Core Four, the superintendent allowed Khanwell to disrupt the school board meeting and they did and said nothing to stop him. Board Policy was violated repeatedly. Did Holmes slam down her gavel and try to restore order? Did she say, even once to Khanwell, "You are out of order"? 

Not once.

Listen to Khanwell's rant again on the recording at 1:46:30 on livestream.com/richland2 (Feb. 4, 2022) THAT is what is destroying efforts by blacks and whites to get along and work together.

What if ??? if Pamela and Baron had gotten Trespass Notices?

What if Pamela Davis and Baron Davis had been put on Trespass Notice on January 25?

Picture this.

If Richland School District Two media relations had reported the incidents accurately, fairly and honestly, the first person put on Trespass would have been Pamela Davis. 

It was her outburst of "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! DON'T TALK TO ME! GET AWAY FROM ME!" that attracted the Richland 2 security officers. And then her continued shouting of "DON'T TALK TO ME! YOU CANNOT TALK TO ME!" directed at the two men and student seated behind her.

The security officers should have immediately escorted her out of the meeting room and out of the building.

I have read and have been told what happened after I voluntarily left the meeting room with a female deputy sheriff for a conversation in the hallway. While she and I were talking, apparently Pamela Davis swore at the 14-year-old student and one of the men stepped between them, telling her that she could not speak that way to a student. That is apparently what attracted Baron Davis' attention and caused him to rush from the front of the room.

Did the security officers write up their reports to reflect that? Apparently not, since the man who interceded on behalf of the student was put on Trepass Notice and kicked off the property.

If Pamela Davis and Baron Davis had been put on Trespass Notice?

Pamela would not have been able to continue to teach at Blythewood High School.

Baron Davis would not have been able to enter any Richland Two school property. Sure would be hard to do his job as Superintendent if he couldn't go on ANY Richland Two property until July 1.

Teresa Holmes is blocking any public in-depth investigation of what happened that night. That is the epitome of dictatorship and one-sidedness. Rather than being an independent arbiter on behalf of the entire Richland Two voting district, she is sticking up for the superintendent and his wife.

And if security had slapped both Davises with Trespass Notices. There would have been instant turnover in the Security Department at Richland Two. Claxton and the security officers involved would have been searching the internet on January 26 for new jobs.