Names still out under Beaufort County school board's new comment policy
The Beaufort County school board gave final approval Tuesday night to a policy that bans speakers from addressing people by name, including the superintendent and members of the board.
Three board members -- JoAnn Orischak, Joseph Dunkle and Michael Rivers -- voted against the policy on public comment at board of education meetings, and were in the minority in seeking a policy that simply prohibited speakers from making racial, obscene, vulgar or uncivil comments.
"I find it a little ridiculous that we're trying to write a policy to prevent people from slandering us," Dunkle said.
Cordray reminded him he could move to change the policy, though he did not.
However, those three members weren't the only ones who defended the public's right to criticize elected officials by name.
Others, such as Earl Campbell and Laura Bush, said they would have no problem with people addressing them personally. Still, they said, they were in favor of a stricter policy because it would also prevent slander and personal attacks on teachers, staff members and students.
"When you get down to derogatory comments, I think you're overstepping," Bush said.
"I don't see why we would change it," Paul Roth added after Orischak asked the board to consider a revision. "I think the way it is is exactly correct."
Under the new policy, people must read and complete a public comment card with the specific topics they plan to address, keep their comments to three minutes or less and refrain from racial comments, obscenities, vulgarities and naming individuals, making derogatory comments about individuals and committing other breaches of respect.
The board also added a second public comment period to the end of its meetings.
Follow reporter Rebecca Lurye on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Rebecca.
Related content:
- Beaufort County school board member: Rules are "un-American," November 4, 2015
- New school board chair supports Moss, cracks down on public comments, November 3, 2015
This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 8:28 PM with the headline "Names still out under Beaufort County school board's new comment policy."