Public commenters raise hiring, transparency and student-support concerns; community members honor Dr. Leslie Barnett

Multiple members of the public addressed the board during the Oct. 27 public-comment period.

Trevor Pittman, who identified himself as a Rutherford resident who covers Catawba County in his bail-bonds business, alleged an individual employed by the district had felony charges and said state statute "115C-332(a)(1)" (as quoted in his remarks) prohibits certain individuals with specified convictions from working in schools. He told the board he would provide the employee's name to staff after the meeting rather than read it aloud during public comment. "I ain't gonna throw the name out for you," Pittman said, and he urged the board to respond to his emails and…