STATESVILLE, N.C. — Emotions ran high during a contentious school board meeting in Iredell County Monday night with parents calling on leaders to step down after reports of secret meetings and inappropriate jokes about students fighting for money.
Dozens of parents showed up at Monday's meeting wanting to speak their minds about the Iredell-Statesville School Board of Education's alleged actions.
"This board made statements publicly and in text messages that were sarcastic and discriminatory about students and adults," one woman said.
The text messages obtained in a records request by the Iredell Free News included comments from board members on a wide variety of school topics that were considered inappropriate, such as joking about having Statesville High School students fight for money.
"Equity, diversity and inclusion training is needed," another person said. "The texts are a clear demonstration that most of the board members lack sensitivity."
Board members addressed the controversy by saying they've learned from their mistakes and vowed to do better. They said the group text messages were set up so that the superintendent could keep the board informed on need-to-know items that happen in schools. Critics say these group chats violate state law with a majority of them meeting without providing prior notice to the public.
The board said they never met to review issues or discuss how they would vote on any policies or funding.
"Did we illegally violate laws to hold meetings outside the public view? No, we did not," board member Mike Kubiniec said.
North Carolina law prohibits board members from meeting and discussing official business unless the board has provided notice and meets publicly in an open session. However, state law makes no distinction between in-person and electronic meetings.
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