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Tag: Richland 2

  • Parents sue R2 for bullying inaction

    BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood Middle School faculty routinely disregarded a former student’s bullying complaints, retaliating against him for reporting the continued harassment, according to a recently filed lawsuit.

    The abuse grew so severe, the student identified in court papers as “D.G.,” threatened to harm himself, the suit says.

    “By selectively punishing D.G. for minor or nonexistent misconduct, but allowing other students to bully, intimidate and humiliate D.G. without any disciplinary consequences from the District for the misconduct, District created a dangerous environment for D.G. and other students who could be bullied without being able to take meaningful steps to protect themselves,” the suit states.

    Stephen and Tammie Gilchrest, the student’s parents, filed suit April 30 in Richland County Circuit Court. The litigation names Richland County School District Two as the defendant.

    A Richland Two spokeswoman declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

    The suit seeks actual, consequential and punitive damages, as well as reasonable attorney fees and other costs and expenses.

    The lawsuit filed last week doesn’t directly blame his son’s bullying or the district’s response on his participation in public policy matters, though it noted both parents are “often at odds” politically with the district and school in matters outside the scope of their son’s education.

    According to the suit, the harassment began in the 2022-2023 school year, shortly after D.G. was disallowed from studying saxophone for failing to score at least 97% on a music theory test.

    His teacher offered to waive the requirement if his parents enrolled him in private music lessons. The Gilchrists objected, citing affordability and raised concerns to the teacher.

    After the Gilchrists spoke up, the school targeted and retaliated against their son, according to the suit.

    Blythewood Middle altered the student’s schedule, selectively punished their son for minor infractions while tolerating similar conduct of other students, confined him once in a storage room to “calm down,” and on another occasion paraded him in front of students, subjecting him to student ridicule, the suit states.

    Bullying quickly followed

    In September 2022, the student reported he had been bullied in math class. Students responded by labeling the student a “snitch” while the bullying intensified and faculty admonished the student for not reporting the bullying “more quickly,” according to the suit.

    As the time progressed, bullying intensified in terms of severity and frequency. Meantime, the student was often assigned detention or given in-school suspension when he was the victim of bullying, according to the suit.

    In December 2022, following continued bullying complaints, former Richland Two board chair Monica Elkins-Scott issued a board statement that read as follows: “We will take innovative, effective and proactive measures to improve school safety immediately.”

    However, bullying persisted throughout the school year and into the following school year, as did indifference by Blythewood Middle faculty.

    In October 2024, video surveillance captured another student punching D.G. in the face, but BMS administration refused to punish the other student, calling the punch “no big deal,” the suit said. The school eventually enacted “limited punishment” of the student after the Gilchrists filed a criminal complaint.

    The Gilchrists ultimately unenrolled their son from BMS when the school failed to adequately address a cyber bullying incident in which a student photographed their son in the bathroom and posted it to social media, according to the suit.

    School staff told the Gilchrists they wouldn’t act unless the Gilchrists first filed a Title IX complaint, citing “rules put into place by President Trump,” the suit continues.

    “The absence of any disciplinary response from the District to incidents such as the October 2023 battery and unauthorized dissemination of the humiliating bathroom photo involving D.G. was deliberate and intentional misconduct that shocks the conscience and is intolerable in any public school,” the suit states.

    The Gilchrists are seeking actual, consequential, and punitive damages, as well as legal costs.

    No trial date has been set. A deadline of November 26 has been set to complete mediation.

  • BMS AP named an Emerging Leader

    COLUMBIA – Last week, Blythewood Middle School sixth grade assistant principal Brandon Reeder was named to  an elite list of educators in the Emerging Leaders Class of 2024-2025 by the South Carolina ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development).  

    Brandon Reeder

    The SC Emerging Leader Program is comprised of educators who desire to become more involved in our state’s educational community. Emerging Leaders are enthusiastic and committed to the “Whole Child,” a belief that every child in the state deserves to be healthy, safe, supported, challenged, and engaged.

    Reeder is a native of Blythewood and a proud product of the Richland Two. He has experience as a math teacher, teacher leader, and assistant administrator. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Middle Level Education from Winthrop University. Reeder holds a Master of Education in Educational Administration from USC where he is pursuing a doctoral degree in the Educational Practice and Innovation program. 

    “I am a firm believer in the power of WE,” Reeder said, ” committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to ensure all students can succeed.”

  • R2’s Davis resigns under pressure from school board

    COLUMBIA – Dr. Baron Davis has stepped down as superintendent of Richland School District Two, the second of two high-ranking departures in the district in a month.

    Davis

    No official reason was stated for Davis’ departure. He had held the district’s top post since 2017.

    On Tuesday night, after a nearly six-hour executive session, school board trustees voted unanimously to “mutually agree to separate their contractual relationship, and that the Board accept Dr. Davis’s resignation.”

    The resignation was effective January 17, the date of the board meeting. The motion also authorized board chair Lindsay Agostini to execute a separate agreement with Dr. Davis, which was reviewed in Executive Session.

    Details of that agreement were not available at press time.

    An agenda for the meeting listed the purpose of the executive session as for the “receipt of legal advice regarding superintendent contract.” A vote on executive session items followed, according to the agenda.

    Since the Jan. 5 meeting, at which the superintendent’s contract first appeared on the agenda for discussion during executive session, rumors have circulated across social media that the board might vote to dismiss Davis.

    One media outlet based a story on a comment that former board member James Manning posted on his Facebook page.

    “Don’t let the board make decisions in a vacuum,” Manning posted on Jan. 4, the day before the first special meeting at which Davis’ contract was discussed. “Show up to ensure they have to look you in the face when making decisions. There is a good chance they will fire the superintendent at this meeting … they want a weak leader who will do their bidding. Not be a true leader.”

    Davis’s resignation comes after the state Inspector General’s Office released a report critical of the former Richland Two school board for its political environment, dysfunction, and chaos.

    Davis’s departure also comes on the heels of an announcement by the District’s Chief Financial Officer Shelley Allen, that she is resigning effective Jan. 27.

    One media story appeared to tie Allen’s resignation to the board’s Jan. 5, 2023 special called board meeting. The story stated, “Last week, the board called a special meeting to discuss the Inspector General’s report and Davis’ contract … Allen’s letter was dated Jan. 6, a day after this meeting.”

    But Agostini said in an interview with The Voice following the Jan. 17 meeting, that on Dec. 19, 2022, Davis told her (Agostini) that Allen was resigning.

    “He asked me to keep it confidential. But just hours after our conversation, I received a text from a member of the community saying, ‘Hey, Shelley [Allen], the girl from accounting, is resigning.’

    “I texted Dr. Davis that the public already knew. He texted back, ‘Ok. We won’t share anything from our end.’

    “Any implication that Ms. Allen was leaving because we were having discussions about Dr. Davis’ contract is just inaccurate,” Agostini said.

    “No discussion had been initiated about Dr. Davis’ contract before Dec. 19 when he informed me that Ms. Allen was resigning. I didn’t even speak to our attorney about the contract until Dec. 20, when I asked if she would address the board about the superintendent’s contract.”

    In her resignation letter, Allen stated the district continues to be “filled with chaos and dysfunction.” She blamed local and state leaders for that chaos and dysfunction.

    “It is very disheartening and quite frankly demoralizing to all district employees when this mentality is so prevalent in our community,” the letter states.

    “I have optimistically hoped that the outcome of the Inspector General’s report would provide some justification for making some changes that are needed in this district,” the letter continues. “But the focus continues to be misdirected.”

    Allen made clear in her letter her support for Davis, praising his leadership.

    “I have been fortunate to work with you,” Allen, said, referring to Davis in her letter, “in a capacity that has allowed me to witness your passion, your humility, your vision and your deep desire to provide the best education for every student.”

    The Richland Two Black Parents Association responded to Allen’s letter with the following Facebook post:

    “Is Ms. Allen referring to the current board or the old [previous] board? …she worked at the district the last four years and was there when the Governor launched the investigation by the Inspector General …so did these revelations become clear to her right after the November elections?”

    Voters opted for four newcomers for the board last November, ousting the former chair who was the only incumbent seeking re-election.

    Agostini has marked Davis down on his annual evaluations, citing concerns over his demeanor and excessive travel to out-of-town conferences, among other issues.

     In 2020, Agostini and Davis clashed over a board policy the former superintendent proposed – and the prior board majority approved – that required the full board to approve an individual trustee’s request for records.

    The policy contradicts a S.C. Attorney General’s opinion that says elected officials have a right to review district records.

    The board has called a special meeting Thursday, Jan. 19, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss employment regarding an acting/interim superintendent for Richland Two.

    This story was updated on Jan. 18, 2023 at 5:05 p.m.

  • R2 Superintendent: District is under attack

    Davis: Protect The Brand, Focus on Culture, Environment

    COLUMBIA – In a convocation address to Richland Two School District, embattled Superintendent Baron Davis, without mentioning the state investigation of the District, blasted what he called an attack on public education and promised a positive culture in lieu of raises for teachers and staff.

    “Public education is under attack, public education teachers are under attack, administrators are under attack, and everybody that is attacking public education is not from the outside; some of them are inside the public education experience,” said Davis, in a speech to kick off the 2022-23 school year.

    “Richland School District Two, that brand, that logo, is under attack,” said Davis, dressed in a black suit and red bow tie on the stage of Westwood High School.

    “It has been tarnished (sic) as an attempt to tarnish it,” he said, “to say [the district] is not what it used to be, because some of the things that we focus on that don’t necessarily align with past historical practices… I would argue that this brand, this flame, shines as bright as it ever shined.”

    The publicly available video of the speech is incomplete, with an unknown amount of time and content missing from the beginning. A district spokesman said the livestream site did not record the beginning.

    Davis’s comments come a few weeks after the summer break announcement that Gov. Henry McMaster had requested an investigation of district leadership following a number of high-conflict incidents and complaints involving Davis, his wife, and members of the Richland Two school board.

    According to McMaster’s request, the state inspector general’s office was asked to investigate after the state received evidence of “organizational or institutional dysfunction or other mismanagement by Richland Two’s elected and appointed leadership.”

    Since 2019, nearly all of the school board members have either been arrested, cited for ethics violations, recorded cursing a member of the public, or otherwise crossed obvious ethical boundaries in their public conduct.

    Davis has also been in the thick of the drama, particularly after a confrontation at a school board meeting that featured his wife, a high school teacher, reportedly  involved in verbal altercations with several people (including a teen student) and reports of Davis himself having to be restrained while confronting a parent – all accusations that he denies.

    In a more recent incident of school board dysfunction, a conversation recorded during a closed-door meeting featured an altercation between Board Chair Teresa Holmes and board member Lashonda McFadden that resulted in McFadden being arrested and charged with threatening Holmes.

    In the wake of the announced state-level investigation, three of the four board members who are up for re-election this year opted not to run; only Holmes has filed to seek another term.

    The top priority Davis stated for the new school year during his convocation speech: “Protect the Brand.”

    He says his plan for the 2022-23 school year is to concentrate and focus on the culture and environment within the district – and take action to ensure that it is positive for teachers and staff.

    “The world stage is full of actors, people pretending to be something that they’re not. What we have little of is people of action who actually put the work in to get it done,” he said.

    “We don’t need any more people being pretentious about the roles and responsibilities that they have and displaying things and saying things and not following [through]. We need people of action, so we’re going to concentrate on these things.”

    In addition to culture and environment, two areas of focus he noted are achievement and talent.

    He then offered some comments on the value and importance of setting goals – routine material at this kind of event – before explaining his plan to investigate the culture throughout the district through surveys and unannounced classroom visits.

    He called upon teachers to “create, sustain, and invest in a culture and environment of excellence” by developing and sharing personal goals to further the effort.

    The five key areas he says are important to the district’s culture: that it is safe and secure, affirming and inclusive, respectful and professional, supportive and appreciative, connected and informed.

    He said the culture and environment within the district is critical to retention of teachers and staff, noting that the last time Richland Two increased teacher pay, surrounding districts did the same in order to compete for talent.

    But in the end, he says, most people won’t leave a district for a small pay difference when they are happy with their jobs.

    He expressed some regret for the last teacher pay increase because, he said, had the district waited, the state would’ve picked up most of the tab.

    “Two years ago, before the state decided to mandate starting teacher pay to be $40,000, we raised teacher pay from $37,000 to $41,000, before the state gave assistance to that,” he said. “Now, had I known the state was going to give assistance to that, maybe we would’ve waited two years.”

    More important than differences in teacher pay between different school districts, he says, are the intangible elements of their workplace culture.

    “People aren’t going back and forth between districts for $1,500, most people. They stay because of how you treat them and how they feel: Do they believe in you as the leaders of the school district, and do we believe in one another? Is it a good working environment?” he said.

    “That’s what people stay for because when you divide $1,500 over 24 checks, you’re not going to see a whole lot of money, but you can’t put a value on feeling safe and secure and feeling affirmed and appreciated. That’s a valuable tool, and we have control over that, so that’s what we’re going to focus on.”

  • R2 trustee arrested for threatening board chair

    COLUMBIA – In the latest Richland 2 Board of Trustees debacle, board member Lashonda McFadden has been arrested and charged with Threatening Life of Public Employee.

    McFadden

    McFadden’s arrest follows the release of a four-minute recording of an executive session at the April 28 board meeting, in which a voice identified as Lashonda says, “I will f— you up,” to board chair Teresa Holmes.

    On the recording, McFadden comments about her frustration that Holmes called her “little girl” and appeared to laugh while McFadden spoke.

    McFadden, who turned herself in Wednesday morning, was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on Wednesday, according to public inmate records on the center’s website.

    Elected to the board in 2020, McFadden holds a BA in Political Science and is enrolled at the University of South Carolina’s Master of Public Administration program.

    The penalty for threatening a public official is up to five years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

  • No charges to be filed against Richland Two school administrator accused of sexual misconduct

    Parent of Richland 2 student addresses the incident at the R2 board meeting on Tuesday.

    COLUMBIA – Sheriff Leon Lott announced on Friday, Nov. 19, that no charges will be filed against a Richland Two school administrator who was accused of sexual misconduct during a live-streamed school board meeting last week.

    “After an intense investigation which included interviewing multiple witnesses and the individuals involved, as well as reviewing surveillance video from school cameras, investigators determined that the incident did not occur as described by the child and that the administrator did not do anything improper,” a Richland County Sheriff’s Department reported in a press release.

    The Richland County Sheriff’s Department began investigating on Monday, Nov. 15, after the parent of a Richland Two elementary student raised concerns about an incident involving an administrator.

    On Tuesday night, that parent spoke about the allegations during the public participation portion of the school board meeting.

    “As parents, we want to believe that our kids are always truthful with us, but sometimes it turns out that’s not the case,” Sheriff Lott said. “However, we have a duty to make sure that any allegations are fully and completely investigated so that appropriate action can be taken when warranted.”

    Richland Two and the elementary school involved cooperated fully throughout the investigation and have been notified of the findings.

    The Voice has not been able to contact the father, but WIS reporter Lauren Adams spoke with him following the investigation and WIS anchor Judi Gatson had this to say in an update posted on her Facebook page:

    “Our reporter, Lauren Adams, just talked to the dad. He told her he has apologized to the administrator.

    “He thanked the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and said he feels it best to relocate his daughter to another school.

    “He also said he’s going to put his daughter in counseling and seek counseling as parents.

    “The father told Lauren he plans to conduct his own investigation into why his daughter knows those words/actions and to see if she was sexually assaulted.

    “To be clear, the Richland County Sheriff’s investigators say their thorough and exhaustive investigation exploring all possibilities revealed no signs or evidence of any abuse.”

    The following press release was issued by the Richland County Sheriff’s office this morning:

    Sheriff Leon Lott announces that no charges will be filed against the Richland Two school administrator who was accused of sexual misconduct.

    After an intense investigation which included interviewing multiple witnesses and the individuals involved, as well as reviewing surveillance video from school cameras, investigators determined that the incident did not occur as described by the child and that the administrator did not do anything improper.

    The Richland County Sheriff’s Department began investigating on Monday, after the parent of a Richland Two elementary student raised concerns about an incident involving an administrator.

    On Tuesday night, that parent spoke about the allegations during the public participation portion of the school board meeting.

    “As parents, we want to believe that our kids are always truthful with us, but sometimes it turns out that’s not the case,” Sheriff Lott said. “However, we have a duty to make sure that any allegations are fully and completely investigated so that appropriate action can be when warranted.”

    Richland Two and the elementary school involved cooperated fully throughout the investigation and have been notified of the findings.

    BLYTHEWOOD – A Richland 2 administrator has been put on leave after being accused of strip-searching an elementary school student, school officials have reported.

    The alleged incident occurred on Wednesday, Nov. 11 according to the father who addressed the Richland 2 School Board Tuesday night, Nov. 16, saying his first-grade daughter had been the victim of a strip-search at her school.

    District officials say they became aware of the allegations against the administrator after an email from the child’s father was received by school officials on Monday, Nov. 15.

    The allegations became public during a Tuesday school board meeting when the father described the particulars of the incident during the public comment period.

    The district issued a statement Wednesday, saying the Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis said, “Richland Two does not tolerate any type of misconduct involving students and always fully investigates any reports of possible violations of laws, policies and procedures.”

    Davis was quoted as saying, “I want to reassure the entire Richland Two family that providing safe, nurturing and caring environments that support quality teaching and learning at all of our schools remains our top priority,” he said.

    The child’s father, who can be seen addressing the board in the video, told The Voice on Wednesday, Nov. 17 that the family had not yet been contacted by Davis.

    The Voice was also told on Wednesday that at least some school board members had not been made aware of the alleged incident before it came up during the public comment period.

    “I was not aware of the incident at all until I heard about it during the [father’s] public presentation,” School Board Member LaShonda McFadden told The Voice. “I don’t believe any of the board members were aware of it prior to the presentation.”

    The livestream video of that meeting is no longer available on Richland 2’s website.

    The video of the meeting is password-protected and is accompanied by a note. “Based on the advice of the district’s Director of Safety and Security, the availability of the livestream video from the meeting is currently restricted to protect the identity of a minor involved in an investigation. The district is exercising as much caution as possible during this ongoing investigation.”

    In the prepared statement, the district said the allegations were “disturbing to hear just as they were disturbing to read about in the email.”

    The district is required by law to protect “all individuals involved in the investigations,” Davis said in the statement. The district has not revealed at which school the incident allegedly happened.

    The child’s father told The Voice that he filed a report about the incident with the Richland County Sheriff’s office on Monday, Nov. 15.

    The Richland County Sheriff’s office confirmed to The Voice on Wednesday, Nov. 17, that it is investigating the incident.

    The Voice will update this story as information becomes available.

    This story was updated on Nov. 23 at 8:30 p.m.

  • R2’s Shadd racks up $57K in tax liens

    COLUMBIA – A Richland Two school board member has racked up more than $57,000 in county and state tax liens since 2012. 

    Documents reviewed by The Voice show that James Shadd has been slapped with nine tax liens totaling $57,173.87, including one as recently as May 8 of this year. The liens were filed in response to unpaid income taxes, documents show. 

    Only three of the nine liens have been satisfied, accounting for $7,107 in debt payments made, leaving him $50,066.81 still in arrears, according to the S.C. Department of Revenue online database and an agency spokeswoman. 

    School board trustees have oversight of the district’s $301.2 million budget, with roughly one-third ($107.1 million) subsidized by local property taxes, the district’s 2019-2020 budget states. 

    Trustees also decide other substantial budgetary matters, such as voting to place a nearly $382 million bond referendum question on the November 2018 ballot. 

    Shadd said he’s working to resolve the tax liens, calling them a “personal matter.”

    “I am actively working to make sure that I take care of those matters,” he said.

    Shadd didn’t think owing $50,000 in unpaid income taxes impedes his ability to vote on multi-million dollar budget matters. 

    “I am one of a seven-member board that votes on the budget, absolutely,” Shadd said. “But like I said, this is a personal matter which we are handling. I don’t see a conflict in making decisions on behalf of our students, our teachers, and our staff with regard to that.”

    Shadd’s first listed lien totaling $5,395.79 and filed Sept. 10, 2012 was satisfied June 17, 2019, according to the Department of Revenue registry and an agency spokeswoman.

    Another lien totaling $1,386.25 and filed November 7, 2014 was satisfied June 24, 2015. A third lien totaling $325.06 and filed August 10, 2015 was settled April 22, 2016, records show.

    Six liens remain active, including one filed last month that totals $11,958.62. It includes $9,933 in unpaid income tax plus penalties, interest and fees, according to the database.

    The other five liens are also linked to unpaid income taxes. Two are associated with his business, Shadd Law Firm, LLC.

    Here’s a breakdown of the six active liens as listed in the Department of Revenue registry:

    • December 29, 2014—$11,659.01
    • March 23, 2017—$2,573.92
    • March 30, 2017—$6,587.40
    • April 12, 2019—$10,055.91
    • April 12, 2019—$7,331.91
    • May 8, 2020—$11,958.62

    Shadd has faced other financial difficulties as well. 

    In July 2012, JPMorgan Chase Bank filed a foreclosure lawsuit against Shadd, saying in the litigation that he stopped making mortgage payments in November 1, 2011, according to Richland County circuit court records.

    The case, however, was dismissed in June 2013, records show. 

    In 2019, the state Ethics Commission fined Shadd $1,400 relating to disclosure forms associated with his run for county solicitor. 

    Other Richland Two board trustees have faced financial difficulties as well. Most notably, trustee Amelia McKie owes $51,750 in fines for failing to file various ethics forms.

    A judgment in that amount was entered into Richland County circuit court in July 2019, though there’s no indication whether or not the judgment has been satisfied. 

    Trustee Monica Elkins-Johnson has three prior tax liens, though the amounts were not immediately available. All three have been satisfied, the most recent one in 2014, the Department of Revenue database shows. 

    The department’s database went online November 1, 2019. It was created after passage of a Senate bill that called for greater tax lien transparency.

    Any member of the public can search the Department of Revenue registry for individuals or businesses facing state tax liens, according to a news release.

    The registry only lists state tax liens and remain on the registry for 10 years, though liens that are expunged are removed from the registry, the release said.

  • R2 Superintendent defends travel expenses

    COLUMBIA – Tampa, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. are among the locations where Richland Two Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis traveled in the name of district business over the past two budget cycles, spending more than $15,700, according to documents obtained by The Voice.

    In 2018-2019, Davis spent $10,076.50 on travel-related expenses, or enough to buy 30 iPads for students each year.

    Travel-related expenses in the current budget cycle totaled $5,635.08 as of March 23, about a week after the state issued a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic, documents show.

    The issue of superintendent travel arose during the school board’s February 11 meeting, when Richland County resident Gus Philpot questioned a California trip Davis was planning to take in March.

    Davis was invited to act as a panelist at the League of Innovative Schools annual conference in Los Angeles, California. The March 23-25 conference has since been rescheduled to October due to the coronavirus, or COVID-19.

    Philpot thought the trip was wasteful and that Davis’ time would be better spent working in Richland County.

    “Superintendent Davis belongs at his desk in Richland School District Two,” Philpot told the board. “His speaking to members of the League of Innovative Schools in California on the equity initiatives underway in Richland Two provides no benefit or value to Richland Two.”

    Philpot didn’t think Davis’ travel costs were particularly exorbitant, but also thought number of travel expenses was high.

    “I am shocked by the number of out of town events and conferences,” Philpot said. “It can’t be that important for the superintendent to go to all of these conferences.”

    In a prepared statement, Davis said professional development is part of the district’s strategic plan. Professional development is also a part of the superintendent’s evaluation criteria, the statement said.

    “It’s been a long standing practice in Richland Two that the superintendent attends professional learning opportunities with members of the board,” the statement reads. “The superintendent is charged with working with the school board to develop and implement policies that define organizational expectations and to establish and maintain effective channels of communication with board members.

    “As a result, the superintendent regularly attends professional development conferences with school board members as a way to meet performance standards that are part of the superintendent’s evaluation criteria,” the statement continued.

    Many of Davis’ business trips were to destinations that double as major tourism hubs, such as Hilton Head, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, according to district documents.

    Other expenses were associated with conferences and events in major American cities at least 470 miles away, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Tampa and Washington, D.C., documents show.

    By comparison, Davis’ travel expenses greatly eclipse those of his counterpart to the north, where Fairfield County Superintendent Dr. J.R. Green spent $3,042.72 on travel during 2018-2019, according to online budget records.

    But Davis’ spending is also comparable to at least three present Fairfield County school board members: Sylvia Harrison ($9,585.02), Henry Miller ($9,046.58) and Darreyl Davis ($8,453.37), records show.

  • R2 gives super generally high marks

    COLUMBIA – Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis received generally favorable scores on his annual evaluation, though one Richland Two board member marked Davis down in a few key categories. Two others were critical of the board majority’s decision to not allow board members to discuss a requirement that only a supermajority (5-2) of the board could dismiss Davis.

    Board trustee Lindsay Agostini gave Davis 2s and 3s on a 1-5 scale in categories assessing communication and employee retention, according to documents obtained by The Voice. 

    Agostini was the only board trustee submitting an individual evaluation. The other six board members evaluated Davis collectively. 

    On the joint evaluation, Davis received 4s and 5s in virtually every category, resulting in a total score of 139 points out of a possible 150. Davis received an overall “distinguished” rating.

    In a letter summarizing Davis’ performance, board chair James Manning lauded Davis for his professionalism and communication skills.

    “We appreciate your responsiveness to the board and the relationship you have developed with each board member,” the letter states. “You respond to our communications in a timely manner, and you take care of issues that are brought to your attention.”

    Agostini felt differently. 

    She rated Davis “2” out of “5” on a performance standard that says “the Superintendent works with the school board to develop and implement policies that define organizational expectations.” In the comments section, Agostini noted the presence of typos and grammatical errors.

    Agostini also gave Davis a “2” on “identifies, analyzes and resolves problems using effective problem-solving techniques.” She wrote “defensive” and “knee jerk reaction to support staff.”

    Davis was also marked down in teacher recruitment and retention efforts. “Not finding out why people are leaving,” Agostini wrote. She also added the phrase “sorority/fraternity,” public records show.

    At the last board meeting, trustees voted 5-2 to extend Davis’ contract another two years and award a 12.3 percent pay raise, a substantially greater raise than the 4 percent increase most teachers received in the state budget.

    The board also voted to increase Davis’ annual annuity contribution by 2.5 percent every year for five years, beginning in September 2020. The perks are provided he receives at least a “satisfactory” rating on future annual evaluations.

    Davis’ base pay is now $221,973, fifth highest in the state, according to public records.

    Trustees also inserted a clause that says the superintendent can only be dismissed by a supermajority (5-2) vote of the board, stoking pushback from some board members. They thought any vote to dismiss should be 4-3.

    Agostini and Monica Elkins-Johnson voted against the contract revisions on those grounds. Trustee Teresa Holmes also voiced concerns about the supermajority provision, but ultimately voted for the contract.

    Elkins-Johnson voiced additional concerns that “we were not given an opportunity to discuss this matter,” referencing the supermajority clause. She said the board majority would not pull that part of the contract out for a separate discussion.

    “Because the board will not allow us to pull one item out, I’m going to have to decline the entire contract,” Elkins-Johnson said. “I want to publicly apologize to you Dr. Davis because I support 75 percent of your contract.

    “There is only one item that I have an issue with and that is the super majority,” Elkins-Johnson continued. “Because the board has refused to allow us to pull that out, my vote tonight will be a no.”

    Board member Teresa Holmes also opposed the supermajority and voiced concern that the board wouldn’t permit a separate discussion on the clause, but ultimately voted for the contract.

    “As Dr. Elkins said, we could not pull that particular part out,” she said. “I am not in agreement with the five-vote contract. We have a vote for four for everything that we do.”

    Manning said there was ample opportunity to discuss the contract. The letter summarizing Davis’ performance states the board evaluation was discussed in executive sessions held on July 23, Aug. 6 and Aug. 13.

    “We did have the opportunity to discuss this as a board in executive session before coming to a final decision,” Manning said.

    “We did not have an opportunity as a board to discuss salary or concerns,” Elkins-Johnson responded. “We had an opportunity as a board to discuss our concerns only to the chair.”

    In a telephone interview with The Voice, Manning said supermajority clauses are not unprecedented in Richland Two, noting one was included in a proposed policy revision that the board considered in January.

    A proposed revision to Policy BD would’ve allowed the board, by supermajority vote, to strip a board member of their officer position “for cause.”

    Manning, Elkins-Johnson and Agostini voted for the policy revision, according to board documents.

    The vote failed, but not because of the supermajority clause. Some board members objected to ambiguity over the phrase “for cause.”

    The policy was introduced at a time when two trustees facing legal and ethics issues could have been impacted by the policy changes.

    Former board chair Amelia McKie owes nearly $57,000 in ethics fines for failing to file several campaign reports. A judgment has since been filed in Richland County Circuit Court.

    In January, Elkins-Johnson, then vice-chair of the board, was charged after an altercation following a board meeting. The case is pending.

  • Judgement filed against R2’s McKie

    COLUMBIA – On July 10, 2019 the South Carolina Ethics Commission filed a $51,750 Judgment in Richland County Common Pleas Court against the immediately previous Richland Two School Board Chairwoman Amelia McKie.

    This Judgment is to collect the $51,750 in fines and fees that McKie owes the Ethics Commission under Decision & Order No. 2017-023, which was issued on July 3, 2019.

    That Decision was based on McKie’s failure to file numerous required documents between 2015 and 2018, including Campaign Disclosure Reports and Statements of Economic Interests Reports.

    A 2018 Decision & Order informed McKie that, if she didn’t make payments as scheduled on Dec. 31, 2018, and later on June 30, 2019, the Judgment would be entered.

    Another Deadline Passes

    In addition, another deadline has passed with McKie failing to publicly declare campaign contributions and expenditures, a procedure required by state law.

    McKie filed her quarterly campaign disclosure report on July 18, eight days after the July 10 deadline, the S.C. Ethics Commission said.

    As of 12:13 p.m. July 18, McKie had not filed the report. The Voice left a message for McKie and within an hour, the Ethics Commission website said the report had been filed on July 18.

    McKie said via email last week that she filed on time.

    “My campaign disclosures were prepared in advance of July 10 and were ‘saved’ until the July 10th date,” McKie wrote. “The saved disclosure has been ‘filed.’ If a screen shot of the same would be helpful, please let me know. The [ethics commission] can attest to the same.”

    Meghan Walker, executive director of the ethics commission, said McKie started the online application process on July 10, but didn’t complete it until Thursday [July 18].

    “Ms. McKie saved her report on July 10. It was saved and not filed,” she said.

    McKie also missed the April 10 quarterly deadline, not filing those documents until May 9, and not until after The Voice contacted her then.

    Walker said McKie has paid a $100 fine for that violation.

    Other Richland Two board members either filed their July 10 forms on time or have filed a final report, closing their accounts and negating the need to file, ethics records show.

    In a related development, fellow trustee Teresa Holmes was recently fined for failing to file Statements of Economic Interest forms before taking the oath of office, according to documents obtained by The Voice.

    Holmes paid a $100 fine to settle the matter, the June 21 order states.

    Richland County resident Gus Philpott, who has spoken out against Richland Two ethics violations in past board meetings, filed the complaint in April.

    Philpott also asked the commission to invalidate any votes Holmes took while in violation and to remove her from office. The agency declined to do so.

    “The Act contains no provisions which would allow the Commission to invalidate a public official’s votes or remove him from office,” the order states.

    In a 2008 opinion, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office opined that only school boards and boards of trustees can remove a member “for cause.”

    The opinion contains a lengthy definition of “for cause.” In part, it says “cause is a flexible concept that relates to an employee’s qualifications and implicates the public interest.

    “Neglect of duty, inefficiency, and the good faith abolition of a position for valid reasons are all legally sufficient causes for removal,” the order continues.

    Philpott said he didn’t want to discuss the Holmes case. Regarding McKie, he said the former board chair should be sanctioned for her latest missed filing.

    “The Ethics Commission should fine her,” Philpott said. “She’s not attending to her responsibilities.”

    This is the 15th time since July 2015 that McKie has failed to file campaign disclosure reports on time. She only met the deadline once, filing her January 2019 statement Jan. 9, 2018, one day early, according to online ethics filings.

    Ethics records also show that McKie went three years – from 2015 to 2018 – without filing Statements of Economic Interest forms. She did not file forms for those years until December 2018.

    SEI forms must be submitted by March 30 every year. They list a candidate’s income sources and other positions they hold that may pose a potential conflict.

    Section 8-13-1110 of state law says no public official “may take the oath of office or enter upon his official responsibilities” unless an SEI form is filed.

    Richland Two trustees were sworn in Nov. 13, 2018, according to a Richland Two news release. Neither McKie nor Holmes filed file SEI forms until Dec. 4, 2018, ethics filings show.