Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Lawsuit Apology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Former interim superintendent Herbert Berg apologizes to board after lawsuit findings
Summary
Herbert Berg, who served as interim superintendent in 2018–19, read a statement to the board acknowledging an inaccurate 2019 email about a trustee's concealed weapons permit, said the jury rejected the plaintiff's claims, and offered a formal apology at the board's general session as the jury requested.
Herbert Berg addressed the Beaufort County Board of Education on Oct. 15 to read a statement and offer an apology related to a lawsuit brought by trustee William Smith.
Berg said he served as the district's interim superintendent in 2018–2019 and summarized the litigation: "About 2 years after I left the district in June 2021, board trustee William Smith brought a lawsuit against the board..." He said that after a trial in October, the jury or court rejected Smith's claims against the defendants, including Berg himself.
Berg specifically described an inaccurate email he sent on June 25, 2019, in which he reported, "Will has no concealed permit per David G," and said he had been mistaken because Smith did, in fact, have a concealed weapons permit. "If the email… is not actionable written defamation, I apologize for making that error," Berg said, reading from his prepared remarks. He added that the jury suggested he make a formal apology at a board meeting and recommended a published correction in local media.
Berg also said he had received harassment complaints about Smith before the email and that some information later released to local media followed Freedom of Information Act requests. He closed by expressing pride in his district service and a hope that the board and staff could move forward.
The board acknowledged Berg's statement; no formal board action on the matter was taken in open session during this meeting.
Next steps: Berg's statement will be part of the meeting record; the jury's recommendation for a published correction was noted in Berg's remarks but whether the district will publish a separate correction was not addressed during open session.
