Embattled school board defiant in wake of corruption scandal | Hour 1

What's going on? Thank you so much for listening to this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon to three on WBT radio in Charlotte. And if you want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream, my daily show prep with all the links, become a patron, go to the peak calendar show.com. Make sure you hit the subscribe button, get every episode for free right to your smartphone or tablet. And again, thank you so much for your support. I did not full disclosure. I did not watch. I did not watch the entire Charlotte Mecklenburg school board meeting last night. Oh, I, I had a speaking engagement. I went to the queen city Republicans and I talked about data centers with them. And, uh, it was a very good, uh, gathering, great group of people had a, uh, a lot of fun. And, um, They didn't even kick me out when I told them that I'm technically registered unaffiliated. They still allowed me on on site. So I did not sit through the three and a half hour school board meeting. So thank you very much. Queen City Republicans, because it spared me from having to do that. I did, however, go back and watch the school board member reports section. School board member reports. Now, a lot of people may not know this. But they never used to really do this sort of thing. And we can thank Vilma Leak for this. County commissioner, soon to be former county commissioner. She lost her primary. But before she was a county commissioner. But. Still wearing the big, ridiculously oversized flowers on her shoulder. She was a school board member. And what she would do is she would go and tour school, different schools all throughout the district. And she would just drop in, which of course then would send all of the, you know, the local, like the principal and the staff, they would have everybody scurrying around because she would want to go in and look at the classes and all this. And then she would come back to the school board meetings and talk about how lovely all of her visits were over the last two weeks. And it would go on and on and on. So they tried moving like they tried to move these reports to the very end. They tried to put time limits on them. She would get angry with them. It was just it was a whole thing. Okay. So they do still have this in the agenda where board members come forward with their reports. And last night, almost all of the board members spoke, not all of them, but virtually all of them spoke. And a word that I have not seen used in the reports that I have read about what the board members said, a word I've not seen is the word defiant. or defiance okay but that's what that was last night remember just for the recap you've got a board of education that is under invested criminal investigation by i think i've lost track now of all of the different entities we've got the fbi doj sbi department of public instruction state board of education the state auditor's office oh no that's it okay so i remember them all right so All of these entities are investigating the Board of Ed over, quote unquote, financial irregularities. And those irregularities, if true, would stack up to mean what would otherwise be described as corruption. OK, that's this is a financial scandal. It is corruption, if true. Because what the allegations seem to indicate, and all we have are the allegations, none of the agencies investigating have made any announcements about any evidence or anything at this point, but what it appears to be is contracts that were administered outside of. The normal board approval process. Apparently by, successfully by, the now former board chair, Stephanie Sneed, who resigned her position as chair but still remains on the board. Okay, that was the contract in question is the one that went to a law firm, which then did a subcontract to a political ally named Racky McGregor, an ally of Stephanie Sneed. And this contract went to McGregor after the superintendent had scrapped his contract, Racky McGregor's contract with CMS. And he was no longer a executive in residence. Okay. So that's what initiated it. And then we also found out that another school board member named, well, I've been calling her Shamae Haynes. Uh, she pointed out last night in her report that her name is pronounced Shamaya. So that's on me. Um, I've never seen this spelling of, of a name or heard a name like this pronounced before. So this was a first. So, uh, I, you, you know, me, I pride myself on, you know, precise pronunciations of people's names. So, uh, My sincere apologies to Shamaya Haynes for mispronouncing her name as Shamay. It's spelled that way, so I mispronounced it all this time. Shamaya, Shamaya. Okay. She apparently told the superintendent after she won her race and met with the superintendent as a as a rookie baby board member coming in the door and the superintendent's like, hey, what do you want to accomplish as a new board member? And she said she wanted to steer as many contracts to black nonprofits, which is a weird thing to say. Like that's kind of, but a little bit on the nose. That's according to the superintendent's memo that she published right before they fired her. They being five members of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board that seem to be voting against as a block in lockstep. I call them the Fivers, okay? Some people still want me to call them the Quints. I'm not going to do that because I don't like the sound of it. It just doesn't have a ring, a powerful ring. The Fivers does. It almost sounds like a nihilistic death cult, too. You know what I mean? Like some dead enders. You know, like they're about to take a bunch of the Kool-Aid or something. So anyway, the Fivers seem to be voting all in lockstep together. There's also the connection to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Black Political Caucus, where a lot of these fivers. Have connections to. And as I mentioned before, the Black Political Caucus in Charlotte, they are somewhat of a kingmaker in the Democrat primaries because they mobilize voters, they do endorsements, and you always want the BPC endorsement if you're running in the Democrat primary because if you don't have their endorsement, chances are more likely that you will be defeated by someone who does have a BPC endorsement. Okay. So, um, Snead came from the BPC, uh, the new chair who is the convicted felon who somehow still, yeah, one he's, yeah, he's on the board. Um, so he's a convicted felon and he was the vice chair, Gregory D Rankin. And so when Snead stepped aside as chair, uh, He was elevated to chair. So now we have a convicted felon as our chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board. And he has roots through the BPC as well. That's where he came out of also. Then you have the quad, the four, because I can't say the fourers because that sounds weird. So I can't go with the fourers and the fivers. So I'm going with the quad for the four members of the minority voting bloc. All of these are Democrats. And as far as racial breakdown, the only two white school board members are part of the quad. All of the other members on the quad or the other two are black on the, among the fivers, you've got four blacks and one Latina. Okay. Who's now the vice chair, but she's going to be quitting that post because of all the death threats she says she has received. So with that backdrop, This was the first time that the members of the public got to come down and speak to the Board of Education about the absolute poop show that they have been running. People were not happy. I know this may come as a shock. People not entirely pleased with the performance of this school board and the swirl of corruption that is swirling all around them. But then the school board members during their reports, they issued statements. And that's what we'll take a listen to in moments. 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So first off was Anna London. Good evening to everyone. Again, thank you for all of the comments and your feedback. So I've spent a lot of time reflecting over the last several weeks, reflecting on leadership, accountability, trust, and the responsibility that comes with sitting in this seat. I'll be the first to say that these last several weeks have been incredibly difficult. I've been disappointed, frustrated, and challenged in ways I never expected. And I'm not going to pretend otherwise. However, through all of it, two things have not changed. Why I chose to serve on this board and that there are incredible things happening in our schools and across this district. I believe in public education. I believe in our students, educators, our staff, and the incredible work happening across this district every single day. I believe we have a responsibility to move forward. For me, moving forward doesn't mean forgetting anything or ignoring the lessons that we've learned. It means taking those lessons seriously, continuing to examine our processes, making improvements where they're needed, and doing the hard work of rebuilding trust. I am one of nine board members, and I am committed to working with my colleagues to find common ground and keep our focus. Where it belongs. Our students deserve a board that can navigate difficult conversations, make thoughtful decisions, and move forward with purpose. I remain incredibly hopeful about the future of CMS, and I am committed to being a part of the work ahead. I intend to keep showing up, doing the work, and staying focused, because at the end of the day, this work has never been about me. It's about our students, educators, and staff, and that's where my commitment remains. All right, so London is part of the quad, okay? So she is, as far as I can tell, she is not part of the Fivers majority block that made these decisions and such. She's also new to the board. But what she's talking about, you're going to hear echoed by all of the school board members who spoke. We got to move forward, right? Which I always find this to be a silly strategy or slogan because forward could be, you know, going over a cliff. You know, if you're on the wrong path, then moving forward on the wrong path is not the right decision, okay? These are also the things that people say in the midst of a corruption scandal when they don't want us to pay any more attention. And I'm sorry. I understand why people are saying it. I understand why you want people to be reminded that all of this work has to continue. The district has to. Keep, you know, turning on the lights and running the buses and teaching the kids. I'm just kidding. We don't do that. Oh, man. No, I'm kidding about that last one. So I understand why you say these things. I get the idea. However, in the midst of this poop storm, you saying let's just move forward sounds a lot like shut up, sit down, stop asking questions, and go. We're going to forget all of this happened. Now, she made a point to say, like, moving forward doesn't mean forgetting all that. I get it. She can say that. But other members that are, let's say, closer to the eye of the poop storm. They don't get to say that, even though they do. But they, sorry, no. Also, this constant. demand that we refocus our attention we have to turn our gaze away from the corruption don't look at that we need to focus on our great schools and of course the children must focus on the children and how dare you notice this corruption stuff going on when you should be noticing the children This is what's so infuriating to me about like all board of ed and school district related education related stories is everyone. It's like this. And I understand why. But it's this it's this cheapest, lowest form of political sloganeering for the children. And they talk to you and me like we are four years old, like we are the children. OK, no. You saying for the children, for the children, while we're looking over budgets and watching, you know, tens of thousands of dollars go out the door to your political allies. And we want audits and we want to look at the finances. Like, yes, that's in the long run about the children. But the children are not being best served when people have no confidence in the district management. Oh, but we should have confidence. We have great people here. Okay, but they're being directed to do things by you, by the board. And you guys have had problems dealing with each other for years. I mentioned this the other day. Well, I guess it was a couple of weeks ago. The stuff that we see, the sniping, the snide remarks, that's the stuff that we see as the public during the open meetings. And if that's what we are seeing in the open meetings, you can only imagine how nasty it is in the closed sessions and in the text messages and emails. The stuff that is never on the record, the stuff that people aren't around to see. You can only imagine how toxic that board is. The behind-the-scenes relationships. All right, real quick. Every government number gets revised, right? Every projection gets walked back. Gold does not file corrections like GovCo. Revelation Gold Group helps families hold physical gold and silver, including in a tax-advantaged gold IRA. It's real. It's in your name. And 10 minutes later, tells you if your retirement account qualifies. If you want to learn more, go to calendarmetals.com. That's calendarmetals.com. There is a link in the podcast description. Or if you want to talk to somebody, you can call 888-465-3049. All right, let's get to the coup de grace. Stephanie Sneed. She is at ground zero of the poop storm here. She was the board chair. It was her political ally, Racky McGregor, that got the contracts through the law firm and all that. She stepped down as chair, but is not stepping down from the board. And so this is why I was looking for the word defiant to be in the copy of any news stories about her comments last night. I don't see the word. Maybe somebody has used it, but I haven't seen the reports. Here's what she had to say to you, the taxpaying public. Before tonight's comments, I was thinking that my remarks would begin with about all the work I've done, seen and unseen, for this district and community-wide. Then I realized, few have asked what work has been done or who has served. And in this season, people don't seem to care. And as a woman of faith, I certainly understand that praise can happen at the beginning of the week. And condemnation can happen by Friday. Yeah, especially when we find out you've been funneling contracts to your friends. I could see why that would happen, right? Monday, we're not aware of these contracts. Wednesday, we are aware of the contracts. And by Friday, condemnation ensues. Like, that's what that could be why that happens note the framing we are always the hero or victim of the story never the villain right she she already started off with i was going to talk about all the work that i do seen and unseen right like laying on the martyr story quite thick right out of the. Gate I've been subject to being called the B word, the F and B word, the N word, wish you were dead by both men and women, all wrapped up into threats against my safety. With no regard to me being a CMS parent, wife, and a human being. Okay. First off, as I always say, stop threatening people. Okay? Nobody should be threatening anybody in elected office. You should not be doing this. This is antisocial behavior. This is civilizational destroying type stuff. Do not do it. Do not engage in it. It doesn't make you a good person. I know you're angry, but you should not be threatening anybody. You should not be calling them these dirty names. You don't need to do that. Now, that being said, because I always want to say that first, that being said, the people who do that sort of thing, it doesn't matter that you're a CMS parent or not. That's who they are. That's what they do. And I can say, don't do that. It makes you a bad person. But they're going to probably still do it because they're bad people. And so they don't care if you're a human being, if you're a CMS parent, they don't care. That's how they treat people. That's not to make it okay. It's not an excuse. I'm just pointing out that like you being a CMS parent does not inoculate you from these types of bad people and the things that they say. Okay. I have spent 13 years in this community, not only speaking up for them, but putting my words to actions. And even if I had not, no one, including me should have to earn dignity. Harshness does not bring us closer to the truth. or help our children, and more importantly, it serves no one. In fact, it's despicable. I applaud WFAE's new series that they're starting on respectable disagreement without disdain or seeking to destroy. It's timely. Okay, hang on a second. The NPR affiliate is doing a series on how to disagree politely? Really? Really? Here's a suggestion. I got a couple, actually, just off the top of my head. How about number one? You field calls live. How about you actually talk to people that may not agree with you as we do? Like you could use us as a template. Right. We take phone calls and texts from people that disagree with us all day long. So. That's the way you kind of hone that skill is you actually have those back and forth conversations with people with whom you disagree. That's how you do that as practice, basically. In exchange, I. Will attempt to speak in an NPR voice more often. And so this way people will think that I'm not being disagreeable or nasty when I say that you are literally Nazis for voting for a Hitler. See, doesn't that sound so much better? So much more agreeable. Yes. Maybe also another tip, bring in some reporters and stories of a different political perspective. Bring in somebody else. No, I'm not talking about David. Brooks from the New York Times as your quote-unquote conservative or Jonah Goldberg, right? Bring in some actual MAGA people some actual conservatives, bring in some people who can make these arguments and go toe-to-toe and challenge the narratives that you are more invested in. And yes, I will, in the spirit of giving, because you know me, I am a giver. Sorry, I am a giver. And so as a giver, I will offer my services in all seriousness. I will offer my services in To join you in your effort. I will even speak like this whilst on your airwaves. Because if I talk like this, people might, I don't know, feel triggered or something. Microaggressions. All right, back to Stephanie Sneed. For weeks, assumptions and allegations and mischaracterizations have been repeated as facts. An investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing. An allegation is not a verdict. And of course, context always matters. I'm wondering how the leaders, elected officials, nonprofits, and people serving vulnerable families, especially those serving our students, have responded in similar situations for those that they serve. When a student or parent is accused, do you listen? Do you extend grace? Do you wait on the facts or are you whispering or yelling condemnation? People should never become political pawns for personal agendas, personality, self-preservation, or for sport and entertainment. However, I'm fully aware that outrage is selective and processes are not always fair. Nevertheless, my work for the community cannot be erased. I stand by it. My decisions and actions, every single one has always been centered on students, families, and educators. For the children. Neither I nor this institution is perfect. But the board has been in the process of examining how our processes can be improved. That work should continue and it should expand. Self-reflection of all of us must be initiated. And the official external examinations of us should proceed fairly, as it should for anyone. The thing that is most saddening above all is that I have not seen this same sense of urgency and veracity for our students and educators. Veracity? Please bring that energy to our school buildings, our classrooms, because their futures are relying on it. The kids are not all right. I will remain to keep showing up for our children, and I ask the community to do the same. For the children. I'm not going anywhere. All these allegations, they're just allegations. It's not a verdict. And all you people, I am disappointed in you. Yes, I am sorry to report that we have let down Stephanie Sneed by caring about fiscal mismanagement and potential corruption at the Charlotte Mecklenburg school system. That's, that's okay. That's totally on us. We care a bit too much about siphoning off of taxpayer dollars. That's our bad. Sorry to disappoint you, the person at the heart of the scandal. Chris writes in Pete, you should call the minority voting block, the Quattro. just to throw in a little Spanish lingo. Um, Kevin on the text line says 83, sorry. Yeah. 83% of convicted felons do another felony within nine years from the original conviction case in point Tijuana Brown, the future Lee incarcerated city council member. Uh, what are you guys doing over there in Mecklenburg? Why is that not a bigger deal than it is? I guess if they are one of your own, it's not that big of a deal. I don't know. I feel like I have spent a good bit of time talking about all of this stuff. I feel like that indicates, in my opinion, it's a pretty big deal. Beside the above note, could you please, please, please call NPR to help them with their series on disagreeing in a civilized manner? Then let us know you officially offered your services, but they declined. Look, they're not going to bring... We are a competing radio station, so they're not going to put me on. And I understand that. But I do offer my services. Jim says, sounded like Michael Corleone's statement he read. Pete wants me to commit to the NPR voice just forever? For the children. Oh, okay. Well, then I guess I have to. Pete, please explain to us how the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Council... and CBS school board are overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, represented. By black people. Explain that to you. Elections. We are a Democrat-controlled city and county. As such, Democrat primary voters uh call the tune and the democrat party uh their most reliable voting constituency is black females so that's why they end up with um a lot of representation on these uh on these boards i mentioned. This yesterday i think it was yesterday. Yeah where yeah the the marxists were out there and they were like uh about the data centers and they were complaining about how, you know, there's no voice for, for black and Brown people. And it's like, and they're saying these comments to a city council that is virtually entirely black council members. Like, I don't understand what you're saying. It doesn't even make any sense. Um, Melanie said, Sneed is a crook. She wasn't ever concerned about the students. She got caught stealing taxes, uh, taxes paid, uh, for the poorly managed CMS to funnel tens of thousands per month to her corrupt friends. No doubt she got kickbacks for it. Follow the money. Well, that's what the investigation is going to determine. Anyone else would have been arrested already? We don't know that. Actually, Melanie, we don't know that. We don't know what the evidence is. All we have are the allegations and the investigations that are underway. So we don't have proof, right? We have pieces of evidence, but we don't have a case that connects all of the evidence until those investigations are done. Um, I do agree. She's trying to deflect. Uh, Gary says the thing is the left has pushed so much hate against Trump or anybody that supports Trump. They've made it extremely normal. In fact, they've cheered attempted assassinations and actual assassinations. They're happy for mean and nasty to be targeted at their opponents. They just don't like equal treatment. I doubt it means conservatives targeting the CMS board members. No, What it seems to me is happening on the Board of Ed is you've got these different factions inside the Democrat Party, and that's who's going after each other. It's the allies and the friends of the different factions. I think that's what's happening. Because remember at the last school board meeting, somebody had to be expelled because they were– remember one of the board members was like. I'm just– I don't feel safe. I just got a threatening message. And the person was in the chamber– And one of the board members said, I probably thinking she was off mic, but she was not. We heard it. She said, Oh, Lenora knows him. Lenora being Lenora ship. One of the board members. That's part of the minority block. It's, it's an ally of hers. Somebody that she knows that's threatening one of the members of the fibers. So that's like that. All of this is Democrat on Democrat. Um, The Hellion says, hearing any of this stokes my rage. Sorry, they want to act like they're sacrificing something, and your NPR mode is making people look at me funny in the grocery store as I am laughing uncontrollably. You're welcome. I am speaking. Yeah, who is the guy? The happy little tree. Bob Ross. That's right. It is kind of a Bob Ross voice. Uh, John, uh, so you don't make a mistake. I prefer it pronounced Joe on the school board treats the public like gods. They operate as if they don't exist and only talk to them when they want something. Um, yeah, I mean that like, again, all of their comments are meant to deflect and distract and to, you know, don't look at us. Don't pay attention to us and what we are doing. We are completely dysfunctional. We need to focus on the children. And if you don't, and if you focus on us, that means you don't want the children to learn. You're anti-child. All right, that'll do it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening. I could not do the show without your support and the support of the businesses that advertise on the podcast. So if you'd like, please support them too and tell them you heard it here. You can also become a patron at my Patreon page or go to thepeatcalinershow.com. Again, thank you so much for listening and don't break anything while I'm gone.