Shabbo Area Schools board adopts resolution disavowing trustee’s social-media remarks after sustained public outcry

The Shabbo Area Schools board of education on June 2 read and adopted a resolution formally disavowing statements by Trustee Travis Neville that the board said violated district policy and its code of ethics. The action followed hours of public comment in which dozens of residents urged the board to censure Neville, remove him from coaching or student-facing roles and, if necessary, seek removal through state channels.

Community speakers told the board that social-media posts and podcast comments by Neville were demeaning to women and to students and inconsistent with the district’s stated values. “Regardless of intent, language like this is incompatible with the responsibility of representing all students and families in this district,” said Eric Hall, a resident who addressed trustees during the public-comment period. Several speakers cited specific posts they described as racist or sexist and asked the board to use every available remedy.

Dr. Amanda Tanner, a retired teacher and university professor, pointed trustees to board policies she identified as 2302 and 2303 and urged the board to continue an independent investigation, publish the timeline and, if violations are confirmed, refer the matter to the governor under MCL 380.1107 for possible removal. “If violations are confirmed, formally refer the matter to the governor under MCL 380.1107,” Tanner said. Other commenters made similar demands, calling for removal from committee assignments and a prohibition on volunteer coaching or student contact.

Not every speaker urged removal. A resident identified in the transcript as Amber said she had not personally experienced disrespect and cited district accomplishments supported by the board, asking trustees to weigh the totality of the trustee’s service. Several speakers also emphasized due process and the board’s limited statutory authority to remove trustees.

After public comment, trustees moved to a closed session limited to reviewing a written complaint and information necessary for deliberation. The board then returned to open session, the proposed resolution was read into the record and a motion to adopt was made and supported. The resolution states that Neville’s social-media posts and public comments were inconsistent with board policy and operating procedures and affirms that individual trustees do not speak for the board unless expressly authorized by motion.

At the end of the meeting the board recorded affirmative votes for the resolution from multiple trustees. The board directed that the resolution be entered into the official minutes and made available to the public. The board chair stated that any subsequent formal action beyond the resolution—such as referral to the governor’s office—would follow the district’s policies and applicable state law.

The board did not remove the trustee at the meeting; the resolution itself is a formal statement of the board’s position and an administrative sanction, and the transcript records trustees encouraging voluntary resignation as an option if the conduct continued to impede governance. The board also reiterated it lacks unilateral authority to remove an elected or appointed trustee except through the statutory processes noted during the meeting. The district said it will publish the resolution with meeting minutes and follow up as required by board procedures.

The board’s next procedural steps, including any further investigation findings or referrals, were left to subsequent meetings and required administrative or statutory actions.