Citizen speaks of school board appointments, removal of members

School board representation and board member removals were the focus of one Daleville citizen’s comments during the Daleville City Council’s April 16 council meeting.

Following council actions during its regular meeting, retiring Daleville City Schools bus driver Billy Long described the city’s school board as “crooked.”

“First of all, it’s crooked… crooked school board,” he said. “I think, what is it, Article 17 of the Alabama Code, it’s supposed to be there for the best interest of the kids in the school system, with no special interest of their own.”

City boards of education are referenced in Title 16 of the Alabama Code of 2016, which explains who can serve on the school board and the powers of the board.

“What I want to do is have a petition to have them removed, some of them removed,” he said, referencing the board’s special-called April 10 meeting, which he said involved no discussion between board members. “Y’all keeping the good ole boy system going, putting Angelia Filmore right back on that board.”

Long referenced the council’s vote to re-appoint City Clerk Angelia Filmore to the Daleville City Board of Education with a 3-1 vote that included two abstentions.

Council member Jo Reese made the motion to re-appoint Filmore to the board for a five-year term with a second from council member Alan Souders.

Reese and Souders approved the motion, and council member Bobby Hardrick voted against the motion. Council members Scott Moore and Katheryne Horace abstained, and Mayor Jayme Stayton cast the final vote in favor of the motion.

Long asked why some of the council members did not vote, calling Moore by name.

“You’re here for the people of this town, and that’s supposed to be for the special interest… (the school system is) the biggest employer we’ve got in this town,” he said. “You’re (the council) supposed to be voting, representing us, the people of this town. I’m tired of this stuff.”

He said he wanted to start a petition to remove a board member, naming current board member Ricky McLin, who he said has “been there the longest.” Long also questioned McLin’s “special interests” in serving on the school board.

“I’ve raised the issue,” he also said, speaking about board representation of black students in the school system. “I came April 1 to your workshop meeting. I raised the black quota. I’m using the black card; I’m a white man. Over 50 percent black. One board member’s black.

“This ain’t even about black and white. It’s about right and wrong and the school board members that have no spine to stand up...” he said, with other meeting attendees joining in on his comments.

Council member Bobby Hardrick responded to Long, thanking him for stating his opinions to the city council. He said he was told, after asking, if board members could be chosen through election or if the council could continue to appoint members to the city’s board.

City Attorney Henry Steagall, at the request of the council, also responded to Long’s statements, explaining the council cannot remove a board member after he or she has been appointed.

Steagall referenced a 1966 case where council members wanted to remove some school board members. The case, which originated in Daleville, continued to the Alabama Supreme Court. The case was J. R. Day et. al. vs. Will Ivey Andrews et. al.

“The Supreme Court said that when you appoint a school board member, they’re appointed for a term,” he said. “They do not serve at the pleasure of the council.

“Now, if you have a complaint about a certain school board member, what you need to do is come when it’s time for that member’s re-appointment to the board. If he wants to be re-appointed, that’s when you can come to the council and you can express yourself.

“We need to put this to rest right now, a petition to remove a school board member by the council, we can’t do that. It’s not legal.”

Long responded that the current Daleville Superintendent Dr. Diane Flournoy “has been pushed around and pushed around.”

Another attendant asked if there are stipulations to remove “anybody.” Steagall responded that a public official can be impeached for wrongdoing through the court system, but he reiterated that the council cannot vote to remove a school board member.

“They’re representing the citizens, and when the citizens don’t like what’s going on and speak out, if they want to get back in this office again, they need to stand up for the people of this town,” Long said.