Open Letter to the Editor of The State

Good evening, Mr. Tolley,

On October 3, 2021 at 6:00AM The State published a Letter to the Editor by Terrence Cummings and included a photo of the Richland 2 Superintendent in front of R2i2. The State's headline was "School board trustees who walked out sent wrong problem-solving message to students".

Mr. Cummings' letter read:

"WALKOUTS NOT THE ANSWER

"The implication of The State’s editorial about Richland School District Two is that walkouts are appropriate means for objections or problem-solving. The menacing question is: “Will future dissents result in walkouts?”

"What is more important is that our students and our children, for whose education and character we are responsible, deserve better examples and more mature methods of proffering advice and addressing a grievance than through the unseemly and untoward behavior we witnessed from the three members who walked out, which only delayed an approved contract that had already been vetted legally, as your editorial attests."

YahooNews picked up that letter and photo and published it today: https://news.yahoo.com/school-board-trustees-walked-sent-100000475.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

I presume that the headline was written by staff of The State. Using that photo would lead a reader to believe that the headline reflected the position of the superintendent and the District.

Mr. Cummings' opinion is just that. It happens to be wrong, but he is entitled to issue his opinion.

The three trustees walked out because Administration and the vice-chair did not provide them in a timely manner with the full details necessary to voting on the superintendent's proposed revised contract, and the Administration and vice-chair did not provide information earlier than the three days required by Board Policy. In other words, three of the trustees were expected to make a decision on information they had not had adequate time to consider. 

At least two of the trustees requested a delay in the consideration of the agenda item. When it was obvious that extra time would not be granted, the three walked out. That halted the meeting, because a quorum was no longer present.

 

Mr. Cummings conveniently omitted facts from his opinion letter.

Since the board (majority) intended to approve the superintendent's enhanced contract retroactively, a delay of two weeks in approval would have made no differently whatsoever. If the chair had been in control of the meeting, the superintendent's contract decision could have been postponed, and the rest of the board's business could have been conducted.

Sincerely,

Gus Philpott

Inappropriate Messages from Holmes? Anyone?

Has anyone else received what you considered an unprofessional, inappropriate, rude or offensive reply from Teresa Holmes, a trustee-elect of the Richland Two school board who has never taken the oath of office legally?

At the September 28th board meeting I read an email to the board that she sent to me after I had written to the District's public relations director and suggested that Holmes' board member bio should be updated.

In case you missed my previous article about it or the public participation segment of that board meeting, here is what Holmes wrote to me on September 15, 2021 at 10:57PM:

"Gus, I have often tolerated you hateful remarks and email. However, this time you have gone too far.  I lost my husband Rev. Dr. Jacob A. Holmes Jr. 4 years ago which, I know you are fully aware of.  I will no longer tolerate nor concern myself with your continuous diatribe of falsehoods and insults.  After this message you are officially blocked from any further contact   with me.  Go spout your hate on those who care  about you and what your deceitful lying  mouth has to say.....Do not contact  me again or include me in your racist, hateful. lying  remarks or emails.  It is sad that someone of your advanced age is not concerned about your mortality and relationship with God.  I will pray that God will forgive your outright evilness and have mercy for your pitiful soul.  It has to be hard working on being so evil.  

       

Widower,

Dr. Teresa Holmes 

#Officallydonewithyourfoolishness"

Holmes has also threatened to sue me three times, because I continue to complain that she has never taken the oath of office legally and, therefore, is not a legitimate member of the school board and cannot serve as an officer of the board.

I myself find her message unprofessional and offensive. It may even border on defamatory and libelous, considering use of the hashtag. A person representing a public body (non-religious school board) should refrain from invoking religion in a message to a school district constituent. 

I had no knowledge of her marital status or of her being a widow (not a widower). She is wrong to accuse me of being "fully aware" of that. 

If you have received any inappropriate message(s) from Teresa Holmes, please post a comment below or send a direct message to me at gusphilpott@gmail.com  I shall not disclose your name and/or the content of any direct email to me without your express consent.ft

Is Vax Compliance Coming?

Read this article about a State of Virginia Library employee who chose not to comply with Virginia's vax-passport-or-weekly-COVID-test requirement.

Czar Northam ruled in September, and the library employee saw the handwriting on the wall.

What will Richland 2 teachers and staff do, if the superintendent decides to follow Northam down the rabbit hole?

If 2,000 teachers didn't show up on Monday, would the school board notice? Would it give the superintendent a bigger raise for making a "tough decision"?

Or would the superintendent think, "Maybe I made the wrong decision."

Would the board (meaning "The Four" (the majority, who rule)) ever admit to making a wrong decision?

One Question Each for Holmes and McKie

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...  [Emphasis added] 

On November 13, 2018 both Holmes and McKie took the oath of office. A signed and notarized document was filed with the South Carolina Secretary of State.

On December 4, 2018 both Holmes and McKie filed Statements of Economic Interests with the South Carolina Ethics Commission.

QUESTION - Did Teresa Holmes file her Statement of Economic Interests before taking the oath of officve or entering upon her official responsibilities?  Yes   No

QUESTION - Did  Amelia McKie file her Statement of Economic Interests before taking the oath of officve or entering upon her official responsibilities?  Yes   No

A truthful answer of "No" means that neither is a legitimate member of the Richland 2 school board.

Comments?

Threats to any R2 board members?

When I noticed one Richland 2 board member being escorted to her car after a board meeting recently, I wondered whether she had received any threats.

Then the superintendent informed another man and me before the last board meeting (9/28/21) that the same board member felt "intimidated" by both of us.

I told the superintendent that was "foolish".

I don't speak for the other man, but I would not hesitate to defend any board member, including the two trustees-elect who are not legitimate board members, if I saw they were being intimidated, harassed or otherwise attacked by anyone!

Having said that, if a public official feels intimidated by statements made that oppose their official or personal views, then they should consult with a good psychologist. Hearing opposing views goes with the territory of being an elected official.

But NO public official should be threatened or harmed. 

Nor should a public official threaten to sue a member of the public with whom she doesn't agree. Nor should a public official make false statements to a law-enforcement agency about a member of the public. Nor should a public official "block" communications from a member of the public. Nor should any public official invoke religion while addressing a member of the public.

If I sent an email such as the one I recently received, which I read to the Richland 2 school board last week (September 28, 2021), I would expect to be sued for defamation. However, I won't be suing that person. 

I shall, however, continue efforts to get that person removed from the board. She has never become a legitimate member of the Richland 2 school board, because she has never taken the oath of office legally.

In March 2019 I addressed the board and told them that this issue would not go away until Holmes and McKie took the oath of office legally. That was about 928 days ago.

Holmes claimed she was "qualified" for the office. Certainly, she was. However, on the date when the oath of office was administered (November 13, 2018), she was not eligible to take it. She had not filed her Statement of Economic Interests with the S.C. Ethics Commission. She did not become eligible to take the oath until December 4, 2018. Holmes has not taken an oath since November 13, 2018. Because of this, Holmes is usurping public office.

So is Amelia McKie. 

But those two aren't whom the superintendent claimed to feel intimidated by Gary and me.

Parent Protests - Domestic Terrorism?

Upon re-reading the article here about the National School Boards Association (NSBA) accusing protesting parents as "domestic terrorists", I must ask, Do we still live in the United States of America or  has the Peoples' Republic of China taken over?

We must now learn from the Richland Two school board exactly what their position is on the effort by the NSBA to silence parents.

The Richland Two School Board is a member of the South Carolina School Boards Assn. (SCSBA)

The South Carolina School Boards Assn. is a member of the National School Boards Assn.

Where does the Richland Two school board stand on the NSBA request to the Biden Administration.

Where does the SCSBA stand?

Let's get a clear statement from Richland Two as to whether it supports or opposes the characterization of opposition to Critical Race Theory and COVID-19 restrictions (including mask mandates) as "domestic terrorism", and ask the Richland Two school board where the SCSBA stands. Does it support the NSBA request?

Address your request for clarification to the full school board and superintendent. Request a discussion at the next board meeting on October 12. Email addresses can be found at www.richland2.org/School-Board/Members

For your convenience, the email addresses for the board members (and the two trustees-elect) and the superintendent are 

docholmesschoolboard2@gmail.com, jamesmanning@richland2.org, ameliamckie@richland2.org, lindsayagostini@richland2.org, puttingstudentsfirst2012@gmail.com, lashondamcfadden@richland2.org, cherylcautionparker@richland2.org, badavis@richland2.org, 

The following email is being sent to the school board and the superintendent:

Board Members, trustees-elect Holmes and McKie, and Superintendent,

I request the following topic be placed on the agenda of the October 12, 2021 School Board Regular Meeting: Discussion of the request to the Biden Administration by the National Schools Boards Association (NSBA) to declare parents protesting against Critical Race Theory and the COVID-19 restrictions as domestic terrorists. Clear, unambiguous statement by the Richland Two School Board of its position on the NSBA request and of its own position on that request. Preparation of a Resolution to the South Carolina School Boards Association condemning the NSBA request to the Biden Administration.

If this item will not be placed on the October 12, 2021 Agenda, I request a reply by email from the District stating the position of Richland Two on the request of the NSBA to the Biden Administration described above.

I request a report from the Richland 2 delegates to the SCSBA on the SCSBA's position on the NSBA request to the Biden Administration.

Sincerely,

Gus Philpott

www.Richland2.info 

847.971.7083

Here come the heavies

Don't miss this story about the National School Boards Association running off to ask the POTUS to clamp down on parents. 

Is this disgusting?

Do you know that there is a South Carolina School Boards Association? SCSBA.org  Do you have any idea what their influence is in the South Carolina legislature?

Why do I know about them?

Because I asked them to do something about the two illegitimate trustees on the Richland 2 School Board.

The SCSBA won't even refuse to seat a delegate from Richland 2 who is not even a legitimate school board member!

And then one of the SCSBA officials told me to stop writing to him.

You'd think that the SCSBA would represent the people, wouldn't you?

But its members are the school boards of the state. And you know what we've got right here in Richland 2. 

There was controversy last year involving Richland 2's board members at a SCSBA meeting. 

Which one just shows up for the parties?

Richland 2 got caught not playing by the rules when (trustee-elect) McKie was nominated to serve as a Regional Director. It got jammed through in a way that the SCSBA later didn't like, and the SCSBA told Richland 2 to fix it. 

If you deliver a passionatee message to the school board, do you want to have to worry about the Patriot Act being used against you?

If you object to Critical Race Theory and deliver a strong message to the school board, do you want to have to worry about being charged with a hate crime?

It's time for a change on the Richland 2 school board. Two trustees (Manning and Caution-Parker) are up for re-election (rumor has it that Caution-Parker might not run again) The two trustees-elect who are usurping public office (Holmes and McKie) are likely to run again. 

Strong, positive, well-funded candidates are needed to help those four into retirement.