Holmes with victim's advocate

From the WACH-TV/Fox 57 webpage today, Teresa Holmes attended the bond hearing for Lashonda McFadden.

Reporter Kelsey Sanchez wrote, in part, "The victim told deputies she had been threatened three times.

"McFadden turned herself in to authorities Wednesday morning and appeared at a bond court hearing at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center alongside her attorney, Alex Postic, later that day.

"Holmes was alongside a victim's advocate during the hearing who spoke on her behalf and asked the judge for a no contact order, and for McFadden not to return to the workplace."

Usually a victim's advocate is assigned to someone who is actually hurt. Holmes proudly refers often at board meetings about her 35 years of teaching experience, including being an administrator and a counselor. Did her feelings get "hurt" by Lashonda's words?

Is Holmes over-playing the "victim" role here? Just a little? Just a lot?

Read the captions on the (illegal) recording on the WIS-TV website of the April 28, 2022 special-called board meeting. Read the words. Listen to Teresa egg Lashonda on. Listen to Holmes' patronizing Lashonda.

Judi Gaston (WIS-TV) said Lashonda was charged with threatening the life of another board member (Teresa Holmes). The charge, as listed on the Public Index of the Richland County Fifth Judicial Circuit is "Threatening the life, person or family of a public employee." That is a real stretch to come up with that. Did the Sheriff pass that buck to the Solicitor, or was the decision made at RCSD?

My opinion? Lashonda has been over-charged. What will cause this charge to fail? Threatening the life... No, it doesn't sound to me like Lashonda came anywhere close to threatening Teresa's life.

Anyone who knows Lashonda and Teresa knows that Lashonda would likely have a very hard time beating Teresa's "Mo... Fu... A..", as The State newspaper described it. So the "means" are just not there. The ability is not there to complete the act. 

When you are bullied over a period of time, sometimes you just explode. 

What do school counselors do with unruly students? What do parents do with children who are acting out? They tell them to get in that room and don't come out until you are friends. But no. Teresa runs off to the po-po. 

Look up Teresa Holmes in the Richland County Fifth Judicial Public Index. She is no stranger to court records. 

Open Letter to James Manning, R2 trustee

The following message was emailed to Richland 2 trustee, James Manning, after he appeared on WIS-TV with a statement about Lashonda McFadden.

Mr. Manning,

You were interviewed on WIS-TV today as a board member. I didn't hear you say that you were speaking for yourself only and not for the board. For you to say that Trustee McFadden should resign was completely wrong!!!

You have witnessed the disrespect shown to Mrs. McFadden by Teresa Holmes for months. As Vice Chair, you could have worked with Teresa to help her learn how to conduct the office of the Board Chair properly, without the chaos that she has generated. You were the one who nominated her last June 29 for Board Chair, in spite of my beseeching the board to nominate and elect only a board member who was fully qualified to serve as an officer. I believe you knew then that Teresa had never taken the oath-of-office, after she first became eligible to do so on December 4, 2018.

Mrs. McFadden is an elected board member. It's not up to you to express an opinion about her continuing in office. She will, and she should. You owe Mrs. McFadden an apology.

You know how hard Teresa is to work with. Teresa baited Lashonda and, unfortunately, Lashonda fell for it. Teresa has often disrespected Lashonda by constantly interrupting her and talking over her during board meetings. Teresa, as acting chair (never legally having taken the oath-of-office) knew exactly what she was doing by engaging in the confrontation. By her own words, Teresa was egging Lashonda on. Teresa could have stopped it at any time by calling for order; instead, she chose to participate, as is evidenced clearly on the recording.

A general rule of law is that you cannot pick a fight and then cry about being a victim.

Where was your comment when Cheryl Caution-Parker uttered a profanity toward a community member at R2i2 last October? You were silent then; right?

Regarding the sessions with Liz Guthridge, which board members are you talking about who want high conflict? You are not referring to Trustees Agostini, Scott and McFadden. So it must be the others, including yourself.

Please raise the issues of violations of Board Policy BEC by Teresa and by the person who recorded the incident. The law is clear. Teresa doesn't get to decide whether the law about confidentiality can be waived.

Gus Philpott

Lauren: Please provide of copy of this to Nick Neville, Dawndy Mercer Plank and Judi Gaston.

Holmes complains; McFadden arrested

The State newspaper reports this afternoon that Trustee Lashonda McFadden has been arrested on a complaint filed by Teresa Holmes.

As soon as I heard the news about 4:15PM, I called the Richland County Bond Court. I wanted to know how much the bond was, and I was ready to drive straight there and post it. I learned that the bond will be a Personal Recognizance (P.R.) bond (no money), and that Lashonda would be released on her own signature 1-4 hours after court today. Maybe she had already been released.

For months I have watched Holmes disrespect Lashonda, along with Trustees Agostini and Scott. She has constantly interrupted Lashonda and put her down, as if Holmes' longer time on the Board and her self-importance of being this School Year's (acting) Board Chair makes her Queen of the Board. ("acting", I say, because Holmes is not a legal board member.)

Holmes has demonstrated a serious lack of knowledge of parliamentary procedures and Robert's Rules of Order. The recent executive coaching sessions were worthless; I don't think Holmes learned anything.

Whoever recorded the chaos on April 28th committed a serious violation of Board Policy BEC.

The initial newspaper articles were misleading. I guessed that there were not three people involved. The articles seem to report that Holmes had reported a conflict between another board member and a colleague. That's three people.

But now it appears that Holmes was the alleged victim. But was she really? Did she instigate the confrontation? That will get sorted out through depositions. If Teresa is smart, she'll withdraw the charge. You can't start a fight and then claim to be a victim.

I've been watching Teresa conduct board meetings recently, and I can assure you that I would not want to get into a fight with her. And why would Lashonda? Look at the weight difference!

But what would keep me out of the fight would be Teresa's weapons. Look at that huge, metal, man's watch that she wears on her left wrist. One whack with that, and I'd be down for the count.

And if she hit me with all that jewelry on the fingers on her right hand? First time I noticed them, I wondered why the security officers at R2i2 didn't ask her to leave her weapons in her car. If she clobbered me in the face, I'd probably lose an eye and some teeth, and I'd probably have a broken jaw. 

Why would a Board Chair allow a verbal argument to continue for so long? Why didn't she act and call a halt to it? Teresa participated in the argument. Should she have been arrested, too?

How soon did she decide to file charges? Was she even thinking about it before that meeting ever started? Why was another board member so quick to start recording? Will that Board member be disciplined for violating Board Policy BEC?

Will Teresa be disciplined for violating Board Policy BEC by revealing proceedings from an executive session if, indeed, it really was a legal executive session which, I suggest, it was not.

School Board Pres. tells speaker to "Zip it"; settles lawsuit

BWLSD School Board

Ashley Ryder is my kind of parent.

When the Board President of the Big Walnut Local School District Board of Education (BWLDB) in Sunbury, Ohio, told her to "Zip it" during the public participation portion of a school board meeting, she didn't buy it.

She sued the District in an Ohio federal court in March. It didn't take long for the District to buckle and settle with her. 

Ryder disagreed that the school board could muzzle her during public participation. There's this little thing in the U.S. Constitution called the First Amendment. 

Read the article on LegalInsurrection.com

Could that happen right here in Richland 2? For how many years have we been told, "You can't say names" and "You can't complain about (employees, board members, administrators)?"

Ashley Ryder put her money where her mouth is. You go, Ashley!

Thanks to the reader and local friend who sent this to me.

Remove two illegal board members NOW

Why does the Richland 2 school board tolerate two women on the board who are not legitimate board members?

This serious situation has existed since the school board meeting on November 13, 2018. That is now 3½ years!!!

The board has never explained to the public how Teresa Holmes and Amelia McKie can be legal board members.

Should members of the public have to file a lawsuit in the Richland County Common Pleas Court to resolve this?

History:

Holmes was elected, and McKie was re-elected, on November 6, 2018.

The election was certified on November 9, 2018.

The oath-of-office was administered on November 13, 2018, three full weeks before they first became eligible to take the oath-of-office. Neither had filed her Statement of Economic Interests Report (SEI) with the S.C. Ethics Commission.

The term of office began November 16, 2018, one week after the election was certified, but Holmes and McKie attended the November 13, 2018 board meeting and the executive session on that date.

The Voice of Blythewood newspaper blew the whistle on them about their SEIs.

On December 4, 2018 Holmes and McKie filed their SEIs electronically. On this date they first became eligible to take the oath-of-office.

Neither Holmes nor McKie has taken the oath-of-office on or since December 4, 2018.

THEREFORE, they are not legal board members.

It's not just a "technicality". It's the LAW. See S.C. Code of Laws Section 8-13-1110.

ARTICLE 11

Disclosure of Economic Interests

SECTION 8-13-1110. Persons required to file statement of economic interests.
(A) No public official, regardless of compensation, and no public member or public employee as designated in subsection (B) may take the oath of office or enter upon his official responsibilities unless he has filed a statement of economic interests in accordance with the provisions of this chapter with the appropriate supervisory office.

The Richland County Sheriff's Department and the S.C. Attorney General should have acted on my complaint that Holmes and McKie are usurping public office.

What does it mean to have board members and officers (Holmes is acting as Chair; McKie is acting as Secretary) who are not legitimate board members?

Everything they touch is invalid. Their attendance in executive sessions is unlawful. Their voting on board motions is invalid. All votes by them should be struck. Decisions will change, when their votes are removed. Every vote since November 13, 2018 must be reviewed and their votes deleted. Documents signed by them are invalid.

Three and one-half years of board work will have to be reviewed. Will Bondholders and banks be concerned? 

Will the Governor remove them under the new law that resulted from S.203?