Two area state lawmakers say they are disappointed and angry after the Charleston County School District (CCSD) Board of Trustees on Monday voted to place new Superintendent Eric Gallien on administrative leave. The 5-4 decision was met with immediate backlash across the community, including some board members on the losing side of the vote.“The five members of the Charleston County School Board who voted for this are a disgrace,” S.C. Rep. J.A. Moore, D-North Charleston, said Tuesday. “It’s a shame that our children’s education has become a game for political hacks who have no interest in doing their jobs.
“It’s evident that the ‘investigation’ into Superintendent Gallien was racially motivated and that is unacceptable,” he added. “This toxicity is pushing quality educators away from the classroom and making the problems facing CCSD worse.”
S.C. Rep. Marvin Pendarvis, D-North Charleston, has proposed a bill that would remove North Charleston schools from CCSD amid the chaos. He reinforced its importance Tuesday in a statement.
“The needs of those students that are being impacted the most aren’t being serviced by the district, and maybe we need to look at what we can do to form and independent district that can address the needs of the school and last night’s meeting only underscored why we decided to go that route in the first place,” he said.
The vote to suspend Gallien fell on faction lines, as the five board members backed by right-wing political organization Moms For Liberty voted in favor of the suspension.
“The Moms For Liberty organization and its members are absolutely controlling the board,” board trustee Courtney Waters said in one news report. Another trustee not named in the report said the action could prompt a walkout by teachers and administrators in the district.
In recent headlines:
CP NEWS: Lewis Hatch Chile Roast returns to Charleston for 6th year. Hatch chile lovers can come to celebrate this year during the roast on Oct. 1 and enjoy live music, fun activities for kids and pre-roasted chiles for sale in one- or five-pound bags.
Antisemitic flyers found in Mount Pleasant neighborhoods. Police are investigating after homeowners in several Mount Pleasant neighborhoods awoke Tuesday to find flyers containing antisemitic messages littering their driveways.
King tides, rain expected to increase flood risks in Charleston today. The peak of this week’s king tides event is expected to occur Sept. 28, with evening high tides reaching 8 feet or higher, constituting a major flood risk.
Study to be conducted in Charleston to help Sumar Street redevelopment plans. Charleston City Council decided on Tuesday a study should be conducted before moving forward with redevelopment plans at Sumar Street in West Ashley.
New nonprofit to bring affordable townhomes to North Charleston. A new nonprofit group plans to build a $6 million affordable housing development in an economically challenged area of North Charleston.
Graham talks shutdown, Ukraine during stop in Beaufort. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., discussed the war in Ukraine and efforts to avoid a government shutdown while he was in Beaufort on Tuesday.
Biden blocks GOP move to strip S.C.-native bat from endangered list. President Joe Biden used his veto power to block a move by Republicans that would have stripped federal protections from the northern long-eared bat, which is found in South Carolina.
- To get dozens of South Carolina news stories every business day, contact the folks at SC Clips.
More headlines:
Crossing guards changed agency hands during summer recess
The Charleston County School District is now tasked with supervising the yellow-vested crossing guards after the Charleston County Sheriff’s Department handed the district that responsibility.
Lewis Hatch Chile Roast returns for 6th year
Pitmaster John Lewis wanted to bring a little bit of his hometown to Charleston when he started the Lewis Hatch Chile Roast six years ago. This year, attend the festival from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 1 at Rancho Lewis.
WEEK IN REVIEW: Former S.C. Rep David Mack passes away
North Charleston radio personality and former S.C. Rep. David Mack III passed away Sept. 20 at age 69. Friends and family say Mack had recently gone through several cancer treatments.
S.C.’s maternal health in rapid decline, experts say
South Carolina’s inadequate prenatal care, high rates of preterm births and rising infant mortality in many communities across the state are getting worse, a panel of experts said Thursday evening.
Uncovering the storied past of Starlight Motor Inn
At Starlight Motor Inn, everybody is a star — at least that’s what the Sly and the Family Stone quote says on the motel’s marquee. The midcentury motel on Rivers Avenue in North Charleston is a pastel-hued haven where time seems to stand still. The building first opened as a motel in 1961 but rose back to life this January after being condemned for 15 years.
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