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Speaker accuses district communications team of misconduct and criticizes metal-detector rollout
Summary
A public commenter accused the Cobb County Schools communications team of provoking disturbances and violating rights, and criticized the district's recent installation of metal detectors as hypocritical toward schools in different parts of the county.
During public comment at the Feb. 13 meeting, speaker Jennifer Susco accused the district communications team of violating First Amendment rights, breaking laws and making inappropriate remarks. She said records she had reviewed showed the communications team plotted to remove certain critics and "stir up chaos," and she described a pattern she characterized as manufactured threats used to justify security measures.
Susco also criticized the district's installation of metal detectors, calling their deployment inconsistent and accusing the district of prioritizing perceived threats from some parent groups while failing to provide similar protections in schools where incidents of gun violence have occurred. She singled out differences between treatment of protesters in administrative buildings and requests for security in South Cobb schools.
What the board did
Susco's remarks were part of the public-comment period; the transcript does not record any immediate board response or action taken at the meeting in response to these allegations.
Clarifying details
- Susco said she had produced 740 pages of records that she said showed communications-team planning. The public transcript does not include those records or provide specifics about their contents.
- Susco alleged the communications team used internal language to "move the line to cause 'fireworks' not for safety," and said staff joked about inappropriate conduct; the board did not address these allegations publicly during the meeting.
Ending
The speaker's allegations raise questions that the transcript shows were not resolved during the meeting; the district's public records and any ongoing legal or administrative reviews would be the next sources to consult for verification.
