LUMBERTON — School board members disputed claims Tuesday that they have not complied with state laws regarding ethics training, and Superintendent Shanita Wooten said the information the Public Schools of Robeson County keeps on training is not accurate.
Douglas McBroom, a parent who has addressed the board nine times in 2019, called for all the school board members to resign. McBroom’s information on required ethics training, which was provided by the school system, indicated that six members have not complied with state law.
McBroom passed out copies of board training files and state laws regarding training requirements.
“Six members have violated state law and each of you need to resign,” McBroom said during the public comment period. “This is a pathetic excuse for a board that is not fighting for the kids.”
Board members Mike Smith and Brenda Fairley-Ferebee, who were among the six McBroom singled out, disagreed with his records.
“I have all my credits,” Fairley-Ferebee said. “Check with the North Carolina School Board Association.”
“I know I am in compliance,” Smith said.
State Board of Education members Alan Duncan and Olivia Oxendine attended the meeting. Duncan said he did not have enough information to comment.
However, Duncan and Oxendine and six members of the school board participated in an online ethics training session Tuesday afternoon before the board meeting.
“The records are wrong,” Superintendent Wooten said. “Part of it is missing. The School Board Association should have the correct information.”
Wooten did not comment on whether or not the school board is in strict compliance with the ethics law.
The law requires that newly elected and re-elected school board members complete two hours of ethics training within one year of taking office. McBroom points out that failure of elected officials to comply with state law is a misdemeanor and may result in removal from office.
McBroom came into conflict with the school board over a situation involving one of his children. Until Tuesday, the board has not responded to McBroom’s comments.
McBroom cited board members Smith, John Campbell, Steve Martin, Fairley-Ferebee, Dwayne Smith and Brian Freeman as out of compliance. Campbell and Freeman did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, and Smith, Martin and Fairley-Ferebee attended the afternoon training session.
In other business, the school board heard from Lt. Kevin Hickman about a Robeson County Sheriff’s Office cadet program for 20 rising high school seniors.
“Connecting with Robeson’s youth is one of Sheriff Burnis Wilkins’ goals for the department,” Hickman said. “We will conduct a four-week mini-training camp this summer.”
The board also heard from Harvey Godwin Jr., chairman of the Lumbee Tribe, who said the tribe wants to work with the Robeson County History Museum and the school district to relocate the historic one-room schoolhouse to the tribe’s Cultural Center in Maxton.
“We’re willing to take the school, and we believe we can raise the funds to do it,” Godwin said. “We think this could be part of a destination for cultural tourism and for the education of children.”
Godwin said he wished to “open a dialog” about moving the school building.
The school originally was located in the Philadelphus community between Pembroke and Red Springs, and it served American Indian children. It currently is located on the campus of the old central office on Caton Road that was abandoned after Hurricane Matthew in 2016.
