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Iredell‑Statesville board deadlocks again; GOP pick for District 2 left unseated after 3–3 tie
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Summary
After accepting Kevin Angel’s resignation, the board split 3–3 on whether to seat the Iredell County GOP pick, Matthew Youngblood, leaving District 2 without a representative and prompting sustained public outcry. Legal counsel and GOP leaders disagreed over whether the board had discretion to refuse the recommendation under N.C. law.
The Iredell‑Statesville Schools Board of Education voted 3–3 on March 16 on whether to seat Matthew Youngblood as the District 2 member recommended by the county Republican executive committee, leaving the seat vacant after the board accepted Kevin Angel’s resignation earlier in the meeting.
Chair Dr. Knight opened the discussion by reading the statute the GOP cited — N.C. Gen. Stat. 115C‑37.1 — and put the committee’s recommendation before the board. Members sharply divided over whether the county committee’s selection process met the statute’s technical requirements for restricted voting by precinct representatives.
“The vote was done properly,” said one GOP representative during the meeting, defending the committee’s procedure and urging the board to accept the recommendation. Giustino Capodolupo, a GOP lawyer who spoke during public comment, said the statute creates a mandatory duty: “When a county executive committee makes a valid recommendation ... the board must, I emphasize must, appoint that person to the seat.”
Board members who opposed seating Youngblood said they had concerns about how the executive committee conducted its vote and sought clarity before accepting an appointee. Legal counsel advised caution, recommending the board could seek more information from the committee before taking final action.
Public commenters filled much of the meeting’s comment period, urging the board to seat Youngblood immediately. “You are disenfranchising all 15,562 voters of the ISS District 2,” one speaker told members, arguing delay was harming constituents.
Because the vote ended in a three–three tie, the motion to seat Youngblood failed and the seat remains unfilled. Board members discussed procedural options — including placing the matter on a future agenda or calling a special meeting — but made no further appointment tonight.
What happens next: The board may request a written explanation from the county executive committee and seek further legal guidance; absent a new vote or court intervention, District 2 will remain unrepresented until the board reaches a majority decision or legal action resolves the dispute.
