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Public commenter says board member lacks filed oath; chair says she will verify
Summary
A public commenter told the Southampton County School Board a sitting member does not have an oath of office on file with the circuit court and asked that the member be excused; the board chair said she would verify the claim and the meeting proceeded.
A public commenter told the Southampton County School Board on a matter raised before agenda additions that a sitting member does not have an oath of office on file with the Southampton County Circuit Court and asked the chair to excuse the member from the meeting.
The commenter, identified in the record as Commenter (public commenter), cited “Code of Virginia section 15.2 dash 15 22” and other Code of Virginia provisions and Southampton County Public School Policy BBBC. The commenter said the cited law and policy require new school board members to qualify by taking an oath before the circuit court and that failure to do so “renders the office vacant.” The commenter asked the chair to “ask Greg Scott to be excused from this meeting and any future participation with the Southampton County School Board” and asked that the board contact legal counsel for advice.
Board Chair (board chair) responded that she would not ask the member to leave "until I can verify the information that you provide." Chair added she would “double check to make sure that what you're saying is accurate” and said the meeting would proceed while she verified the claim. The agenda moved forward without formal action to remove or excuse any member.
No formal motion, vote, or legal determination was recorded in the meeting transcript. The transcript records the name Greg Scott as the member referenced; the transcript does not show Greg Scott making a statement on the record about his oath status during this meeting.
Why it matters: The commenter framed the issue as a legal-and-policy question that could affect the validity of membership on the school board. The chair’s response — to verify the information and consult counsel — indicates the board did not take immediate disciplinary or exclusionary action and treated the item as a matter requiring confirmation and legal advice.
The board proceeded to other agenda items after the chair’s comment. The transcript contains no subsequent public record in the meeting that confirms whether the chair’s verification occurred or what the legal conclusion was.
