Group seeks resignation of Beaufort County school board member who hurled insult

A community group has called on Beaufort County school board member Paul Roth to step down after he labeled vocal critics of superintendent Jeff Moss as "loony."

Citizens About Responsible Education says Okatie-representative Roth used "inflammatory language" at the Nov. 17 full school board meeting when he referenced the publicity that has surrounded the brief hiring of Jeff Moss' wife and his changes to the district's nepotism rule earlier this year.

"People that come up here and tell you that Dr. Moss should be fired are loony in my opinion," Roth said. "... Well, let's suppose I was just as good (as Moss), and I picked up the newspaper and read how Beaufort County treats its superintendent. I wouldn't come here for that job."

Roth's statement, which came as he was delivering a report on the board's finance committee, prompted board chairwoman Mary Cordray to cut him off.

On Sunday, Roth once again referenced recent media attention when he responded to an email criticizing the board's actions.

"Your unfaltering belief in our local lying rag with its gross bias is pathetic and you and them do a great disservice to the children of our County," Roth wrote to a District 11 resident, who lives on southern Hilton Head Island. "Shame on you."

On Monday, that resident's representative, board member JoAnn Orischak, wrote to CARE that Roth is often combative when communicating with community members.

"I don't wish to be a party to his offensive responses to constituents," she said.

Attempts to reach Roth were unsuccessful Monday.

BOARD TO EVALUATE MOSS

The Beaufort County school board has called a special meeting Tuesday to hold the annual evaluation of superintendent Jeff Moss.

Each board member was assigned to fill out a form evaluating Moss prior to the meeting, where members will discuss a single form created by blending each representative's feedback.

Cordray has also said the board will use the time to discuss whether to hold a separate review of Moss' conduct in relation to the hiring of his wife, Darlene Moss, to a district job. The superintendent was heavily criticized by some members of the board and public for approving the hire without telling the board that he'd also recently changed the district's nepotism rule.

The annual evaluation will take place in closed session at 4:30 p.m. at the Beaufort County district office at 2900 Mink Point Blvd. in Beaufort.

An open session will follow.

Follow reporter Rebecca Lurye on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Rebecca.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Group seeks resignation of Beaufort County school board member who hurled insult."