Superintendent postpones safety town halls, says district signed DOE certification on divisive instruction; public commenters press on bias and bullying

Superintendent Ragdale told the Cobb County School Board on April 24 that planned public town halls on school safety will be postponed after concerns that politically motivated disruptions could make in-person sessions unsafe and unproductive.

Ragdale said the district partnered with the Servius Group to work on threat identification and intervention to address issues such as school violence, social-media warnings and gang activity. He described the approach as proactive prevention rather than punishment.

"I signed it immediately," Ragdale said when referring to the U.S. Department of Education requirement this week to certify the district is not engaging in racially divisive teaching as a condition of receiving federal funds. He said the district's vision is to ensure "all students can succeed regardless of their background," and that the district's staff diversity is higher than the national average.

Public commenters at the meeting urged the board to focus on bullying, race- and religion-based harassment and mental-health resources. Jennifer Sesco said the Department of Education's Title VI deadline compelled districts to eliminate DEI but accused the district of failing marginalized students on multiple fronts, including racist conduct and under-resourced schools. Michael Barco and Andrew Cole spoke about discrimination and concerns about district openness to community dialogue; Barco urged the board to listen to students and families reporting bias and safety concerns, and Cole referenced historical local events to press for engagement and accountability.

Ragdale said the first town hall had been scheduled for April 28 but that the district would instead make the content available digitally for families and staff; he cited incidents of violent disruption at other public meetings as a reason for the postponement. He said the district would still provide information and briefings but not in-person forums that might be disrupted.

Why it matters: The district's approach to safety, the decision to postpone in-person community conversations and the DOE certification about instruction bear on community trust, how threats are identified and whether families feel heard on bullying and discrimination issues.

No formal board action was taken on the town-hall postponement during the meeting. The superintendent said the district would continue to brief families and staff digitally and will pursue other communication options.