Committee of the Whole needs real people, too

On April 26, 2022 the school board formed the Committee of the Whole on Safety & Security. And we all know what happened on April 28, after Teresa Holmes laughed while Lashonda McFadden was speaking.

The board had jumped into an illegal executive session to discuss organization of the Committee. That was not an allowed exception for a public body to meet in private. 

The Committee has met since.

When will the Committee begin adding parents, community members, teachers, staff, administrators AND students to beome valued members of the Committee?

How many years has the superintendent had to do something about safety & security? Maybe the superintendent shouldn't even be on the Committee. Just get out of the way.

How many years has the Board had to do something about safety & security?

With a lot of fanfare and publicity, the superintendent assembled the BeSMART Coalition in December 2021. Since then? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. 

Why should we think anything new will come up, with the same people running the show?

Let's get down to where the rubber meets the road. There is hard work to do. It's time for Tough Love for the miscreants in Richland 2 who think it's smart to tote a gun to school or fight or bully. 

In fact, the Board itself (and the Committee) could use some Tough Love. Stop the bullying. Stop the fighting. Act like the professionals you are supposed to be.

Inflation Survey

Following is a portion of an email I received from Hillsdale College (Mich.) asking for opinions on inflation.

Take a couple of minutes and complete this short survey.

Be sure to sign up for their free bulletin, Imprimis.

Inflation is on the rise in America. And there’s no sign of it slowing down.

Economic historian John Steele Gordon discussed inflation in a recent issue of Imprimis, Hillsdale College’s digest of liberty. And he noted that adding trillions more to the national debt is not the solution but will only make the problem worse.

Nevertheless, support for socialism and other ideologies destructive of the free market also appears to be on the rise in our country, especially among younger Americans.

That’s why you’re receiving this email today.

Hillsdale College seeks to understand more clearly what Americans think about our nation’s economy and the inflation we’re experiencing. And I’m hoping you can help by completing our National Survey on Inflation in the United States using the secure link below:

https://lp.hillsdale.edu/national-survey-on-inflation/ 

Open Letter to the School Board

The following email has been sent to the Richland 2 School Board:

Members of the board,

What's wrong with the first two paragraphs in The State's article, first published about May 8th and re-published today in the eEdition of The State on Page 6A at 

https://eedition.thestate.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&pubid=3cdedd76-5d46-4519-afe3-75712ef022b3

The original article and the reprint say three board members were involved: 1. The board chair (reporting); 2. "another board member"; and 3. "one of her (the chair's) colleagues".

Is the RCSD report, on which that article is apparently based, correct?

Is that what Holmes told the deputy?

Did the deputy misunderstand Holmes?

Did the reporter misunderstand the RCSD report?

I urge you to open a formal public hearing into the April 28 meeting. Why has the District's Media Relations Department been silent? It certainly had a lot to say after the January 25th incident.

Was the executive session a legal closed session? The Motion was faulty. You can't go into a closed meeting for a "meeting". You can't meet privately to organize a Committee. Please get an expert opinion from someone entirely independent of the District.

To what extent, if any, did Holmes initiate the resulting conflict? Why did she laugh while Lashonda was speaking?

Why would Teresa call Lashona "honey"?

Why would Teresa taunt Lashonda with "Little girl, little girl, little girl"?

Why would Teresa say, “And what you gonna do, boo? So, what you gonna do? Do it! Do it!”

Why didn't Holmes immediately call a Recess?

Why did Holmes egg Mrs. McFadden on?

You can't pick a fight and then cry "Victim".

Trustee McFadden has made a genuine and heartfelt apology to Holmes and all.

Yet, there hasn't been a peep out of Holmes.

I urge you to remove Holmes as Chair immediately, even though only five weeks remain in the School Year. And certainly you should not elect her as an officer for the coming School Year.

Gus Philpott

www.Richland2.info 

https://richland2sd.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-state-re-publishes-erroneous-account.html

The State re-publishes erroneous account

Why would The State newspaper re-publish an erroneous account of the blow-out at the April 28 executive session (assuming it was even a legal executive session) at that day's special-called board meeting.

In the May 22, 2022 "e-edition" of The State, viewable on www.thestate.com, the original article by reporter Bristow Marchant is re-published.

Did The State make errors in the first two paragraphs? 

Or did Teresa Holmes make a false report to the Richland County Sheriff's Department?

The first two paragraphs read:

"The chairwoman of the Richland 2 school board filed a police report claiming that another board member threatened to beat one of her colleagues during a heated exchange at a board meeting last week, according to the report. 

"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 (a third board member's body part),” according to the report."

Source: e-edition of The State.com, 5/22/2022, Page 6A

When I read the first newspaper article, about May 8th, I thought that three board members were involved: 1. Chair Holmes; 2. "another board member"; and 3. "one of her colleagues".

Pretty quickly I guessed that only two board members were involved: Teresa Holmes and someone else. Why else would Holmes be filing a report with the sheriff's department, just to tattle on two different board members?

And that is exactly how it turns out. Holmes accused McFadden.

Did the reporter mis-read the sheriff's department report? Or is the RCSD report wrong?

I'm still waiting for the sheriff's department to respond to my FOIA Request for the report itself. They gave it to The State. So where is my copy?

This all brought back to mind the false report on file with the sheriff's department after Holmes complained on March 19, 2019 that I had been harassing her. The deputy's report contained many false statements, which is why the case stopped abruptly when I pointed out the lies.

Did the deputy misunderstand each of Holmes' statements on March 19, 2019? Or did Holmes lie when she complained to the deputy? 

Unfortunately, the deputy failed to collect a written statement from Holmes. Had he done so, and if her written statement included each of the lies in the deputy's report, I would have had Holmes charged with Filing a False Report with police.

I can't wait to read the deputy's report of Holmes' complaint on April 28, 2022. I hope this time they collected a written statement from her!

Discipline Holmes for her part on 4/28/2022!

Should Teresa Holmes be disciplined by the Board for her part in the chaos at the executive session on April 28, 2022?

Read in this week's BlythewoodOnline what Holmes said that escalated the incident.

Why did Holmes abandon her role as board chair? Why did she strike the first match by laughing while Lashonda was speaking? Why didn't she quickly restore order, instead of adding fuel to the fire? 

Because she was right in the middle of it. 

She could have backed out of it. She could have called for Order. And, if she hadn't gotten it, she could have declared a recess and, because she was engaged in it, she could have stepped out of the room.

But did she?

No, she egged Lashonda on. 

Lashonda has apologized to Holmes, to the board, to her family, to the public. Has there been even one word from Holmes about accepting that apology?

If Holmes hasn't accepted the apology by now, she's not going to. And it's too late now. 

There is a Board Policy about conduct. The Board should admonish or censure Holmes. Will it? Of course not. The majority should. It won't. Even Holmes should admit that her own behavior was wrong.

How did Holmes contribute to the 4/28/22 chaos?

Be sure to read yesterday's article in The Voice of Blythewood & Fairfield County about the chaos at the April 28th executive session of the school board. It is an excellent article by Debra McCown.

McCown provides detail not included in other media releases. You'll be able to understand better what led to the chaos that afternoon.

The public (and board members) have witnessed the months of disrespect shown by Teresa Holmes to Lashonda McFadden. Teresa has cut Lashonda off in board meetings, spoken to her in a condescending manner, over-talked her at many meetings. 

Why would Teresa laugh while Lashonda was speaking during the meeting? 

Why would Teresa say, "“Finish your statement, honey. Do what you gotta do.”  

Why would Teresa say, “Little girl, little girl, little girl”?

Why would Teresa say, “And what you gonna do, boo? So, what you gonna do? Do it! Do it!”

Why would Teresa egg Lashonda on and the count the "crimes"?

The Board's lack of knowledge of parliamentary procedure has contributed to the chaos. The District spent a lot of money on two "executive-coaching" sessions that produced nothing in the way of improved behavior by Teresa. 

Teresa's term-of-office as Board Chair runs out June 28. What will happen at the next three meetings?

I've believed for a long time that you can't pick a fight and then cry "Victim". If you stick your jaw out and say, "Hit me. Hit me" and then get hit, you're going to lose in court.

If someone is tailgating you and you brake-check that driver, you will not collect from his (or her) insurance. Don't believe me? Try it.

Election of Officers - June 28

                                                        (June 29, 2021 Election of Officers)

At the second school board meeting in June (June 28, 2022), the board will elect its officers for the School Year 2022-2023. Whom will the board nominate this year? More correctly asked, whom with The Core Four elect this year?

You may remember the election for the current year's officers (Chair, ViceChair, Secretary). At the June 29, 2021 board meeting I implored the trustees to elect only fully-qualified board members as officers.

Last year Teresa Holmes and Amelia McKie were not fully-qualified board members. As of that date neither had taken the oath-of-office legally. And they still haven't!!! Yet the Core Four elected Holmes as Chair and McKie as Secretary.

The entire June 29, 2021 board meeting can be viewed by clicking on the image above or using this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv3NNForW5k

My comments during public participation start at 16:30 on the timer ribbon.

When nominations opened, Trustee Manning immediately nominated Teresa Holmes as chair. That can be viewed at 1:22:25 on the timer. Manning was nominated and elected as Vice Chair. Then Caution-Parker nominated a second unqualified person, Amelia McKie, as Secretary, and The Core Four elected her!

So much for legality; right?

Why did Manning nominate Holmes? Why did the superintendent accept that nominatin? Why did the majority of the board elect Holmes? (That's an easy one to answer; but had Holmes recused herself from the vote, rather than voting for herself, the vote would have 3-3, and her nomination would have failed.) Why did Caution-Parker nominated a peson less than fully-qualified. Again, an easy question to answer.

I was going to trim out just a portion of the meeting but the District, in its infinite wisdom, decided to privatize the videos of the public meeting so that just a portion can no longer be trimmed out for easier viewing by you. Their explanation to me skirted the issue and rang 100% false.