Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Policy And Legal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public commenter warns board policy changes could weaken harassment protections amid active lawsuits
Summary
At the Aug. 20 Lexington 2 board meeting a public commenter urged the board to resist policy carve-outs that she said would reduce protections for students and staff, cited an active lawsuit (Allison Bars v. Lexington 2), and asked the board to support transportation staff and special education aides.
A community member urged the Lexington County School District 2 board on Aug. 20 to prioritize safety and staffing and to avoid policy changes she said would reduce legal protections for employees and students. In her five-minute public comment, Miss Melissa Go Forth described HVAC problems at Riverbank Elementary, urged the district to pay bus drivers and hire more aides, and raised concerns about proposed policy revisions affecting equal opportunity and harassment protections.
"This board of trustees is caving, choosing to pander and play politics with policy protections for our kids," Miss Go Forth said, citing an active case she named as "Allison Bars versus Lexington 2" and saying she found a recent filing concerning special education transportation. She told the board she hopes bus audio/video systems and other safeguards will help investigations and urged the district to consider increasing pay and staffing for transportation aides.
Board members later discussed the broader policy package and legal exposure during the policy agenda, and administration counsel and board attorneys were present for that portion of the meeting to answer questions. The public comment concluded with an election reminder and encouragement for the board to host a candidate forum before the upcoming elections.
