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Dozens of speakers urge board to reverse personnel action affecting South Granville coach
Summary
Nine public commenters — including players, parents and community leaders — urged the Granville County Board of Education to reconsider a personnel decision affecting a South Granville High School coach and raised concerns about fairness in the district’s reassignment and rubric process.
Dozens of residents packed the boardroom and used the public-comment period to call on the Granville County Board of Education to reconsider a personnel decision affecting a high school coach.
Speakers including Daryl Moss, Guy Curran, Lee Roberts, Sierra Glanton, Michael Mohammed, Mark Adcock, Keoni “KJ” Terry, and Joel Wolfow described the coach as a mentor and community leader and said the district’s process for evaluating and reassigning staff had been unfair. Several speakers said the decision had already harmed team morale and community trust.
The speakers said the coach has long ties to the community and that student-athletes rely on him as a mentor. Keoni “KJ” Terry, who identified himself as a member of the school basketball team, told the board the team averaged a 3.4 grade-point average and credited coaching staff leadership for academic and community-service results. Multiple speakers said players and parents feared the program would decline if the coach were removed.
The board’s public-comment rules, cited by the chair at the start of the period, prohibit discussion of confidential personnel details; several speakers acknowledged that limit while pressing the board for reconsideration or further review. The board extended the public-comment time so all nine sign-ups could speak.
Board members did not respond to substantive requests during the public-comment period. The meeting later moved into a closed session where the board considered personnel matters; on returning to open session the board approved personnel actions that had been discussed in closed session.
Why it matters: Speakers framed the issue as both a personnel dispute and a community concern, saying the action affects student-athletes, school culture and public confidence in how the district handles reassignments and allegations of unfair hiring practices.
What was said about process: Commenters and the NAACP representative asked the board to review whether the district’s structured interview and rubric system was applied fairly. Superintendent Stan Winborn and HR director Dr. Curran (in later remarks during the meeting) said the rubric and reassignment process followed board policy and statutory requirements and that the administration corrected identified errors. Members of the public alleged lack of transparency and asked the board chair to direct an independent review under board policy.
Where it stands: The board considered personnel matters in closed session later in the meeting and then approved certified and classified personnel as presented in closed session. The public comments did not result in an immediate reversal announced in open session.
Community reaction: Multiple speakers said they would consider withdrawing their children or otherwise disengaging from district programs if the personnel decision is upheld; others urged the board to use its existing policy mechanisms to investigate. The meeting record shows numerous, strongly worded public statements but no immediate change to the board’s formal action in open session.
