Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comments Ethics Immigration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Students, parents and advocates press PCSSD over board member social‑media post and immigrant family safety
Summary
Multiple speakers at the Pulaski County Special School District board meeting called for accountability after a board member shared a meme about ICE raids; commenters said the post harmed students and families and asked the board to enforce its ethics rules.
Speakers at the Pulaski County Special School District board meeting on Feb. 11 urged the board to address a board member’s social‑media post that several speakers called insensitive and harmful to immigrant students and families.
The meeting’s public‑comment period included a written statement from a student who said a Jan. 26 social post about buses near I‑30, Exit 111 in Benton drew racially charged responses and that “one of our board members … commented with a meme” featuring the words “Ice Ice Baby.” The student said the post made them feel “unheard and unprotected.”
Community organizer Courtney Stone Jackson said the post and related conduct by two board members constituted “ethical violations” and urged the board to report those violations to the appropriate state entities. Shay Rafferty of Friends of Public Education asked the board to request the resignations of the two members who posted or shared the content. Julia Taylor, an organizer with Public School Strong, described the comments as “cruel, completely inappropriate, and unethical.”
Several speakers connected the social‑media posts to broader harms. Taylor and others said fear among immigrant families can reduce school attendance, which in turn can affect district funding. Gabby Mendiola, a district dyslexia interventionist who identified herself as Mexican, said she feared for immigrant students and asked the board to hold people accountable. Courtney Stone Jackson said the posts showed a lack of allegiance to students’ educational welfare and referenced the district’s code of ethics.
Senator Linda Chesterfield, a former district employee who identified herself as a district resident and taxpayer, urged prudence in board communication and warned against actions that could expose the district to legal or fiscal risk. Representative Joy Springer, who also spoke during public comment, said the district must continue commitments to projects such as College Station and Harris while addressing community concerns raised at the meeting.
Board members did not take formal action on the comments during the public‑comment period. The board’s chair noted that public comment is for speakers to present and that the board will not respond during that segment.
The speakers who addressed the post called for investigation and enforcement of the board’s ethics code, greater accountability for officials’ public communications, and reassurance that district leadership will prioritize student safety and inclusion. Several speakers said they expect the board to follow up and to make repairs where district actions or communications have harmed trust.
The board moved on to its regular agenda after public comment, taking votes later in the meeting on items including facilities work, purchases and personnel matters.
