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Committee approves revision to board policy ACB on equity, diversity and inclusion, 6–1
Summary
After discussion prompted by a board member's request, the Committee of the Whole approved recommended revisions to board policy ACB (equity, diversity and inclusion) by a 6–1 roll-call vote; proponents said the language was reworded to avoid future misconstruction while retaining the policy's intent.
The Committee of the Whole voted 6–1 to move forward a revised version of board policy ACB, which covers equity, diversity and inclusion.
Chair introduced the item as coming at the request of Mr. Cochran, who chaired an ad hoc committee to review the policy. Mr. Cochran explained his request by citing "philosophical differences" with the current language and expressing concern that the policy could invite federal scrutiny and potentially jeopardize federal grants. "The policy in its current form certainly invites a lot of scrutiny from, the federal government," he said, noting a recent loss of grants in District 55 as a cautionary example.
Miss Morrison Fair asked for documentation and clarification about why the change was requested and what strategic goals it would support; she also said there had been no public outcry in Greenville County urging revision. Miss Brett defended the committee's work, saying the suggested rewording aims "to keep together the sentiment of the original policy as written without necessarily giving away the baby with the bathwater."
The committee took a roll-call vote. Recorded votes were: Brett — yes; Cochran — yes; Doolin — yes; Middleton — yes; Morrison Fair — no; Mosley — yes; Stiles — yes. The chair announced the motion carried, 6 to 1.
The committee's action updates the committee-level policy language; committee members did not take additional administrative steps in the meeting text beyond approving the recommended revision.
