I-SS Vice Chairman Outraged by Accusations of ‘Abandoning the Ten Commandments’

CARISSA MILLER

A community member criticized the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education Monday night for the board’s decision to thwart an effort to place a poster containing the Ten Commandments and other historical documents in all schools in the district.

Her comments did not sit well with at least one board member.

Speaker Jan Wright began her comments to the board by saying, “North Carolina public school charters state that we may display the Ten Commandments in our public schools.” She then said she appreciated the integrity of board members Mike Cuban, Anita Kurn and Brian Sloan, who stood up for their values ​​and voted for the Ten Commandments poster.

She then proceeded to lecture the remaining four board members, who she said had voted against the Ten Commandments.

“You don’t know what you’re doing,” she said. “We can’t believe in you. We can’t trust you.”

“You are easily persuaded by outside voices. When and for what else will you suddenly change your mind?” she asked.

The Bible and prayers were removed from public schools in 1962, Wright said. Removing God from schools, she said, leads to “an increase in bad behavior, poor academic performance, sexual perversion, drugs, depression, suicide and economic depression.”

She ended with a word of warning for board members.

“We need God and his Ten Commandments back in our schools,” Wright said.

The vice-chairman is outraged by the accusations

Chairman Bill Howell gave Vice Chairman Charles Kelly, who was not running for re-election in 2024, a chance to reflect and share his thoughts on his 20 years as a school board member.

Kelly decided to use this time to respond to Wright’s comments.

“As a practicing lay leader in the Methodist Church who has spoken on this topic, I was thrilled to be categorized for violating the Ten Commandments,” he said passionately.

“I’m outraged by this to the point of absolute rage,” Kelly added.

Sloan, who led the effort to display the Ten Commandments in I-SS schools, tried to prevent Kelly from speaking her mind.

“These are comments from board members,” Sloan said, interrupting Kelly. “A matter of order.”

Chairman Howell previously discontinued the practice of allowing board members the opportunity to comment on matters of their choosing during board meetings because board members were using this time to advance personal interests.

In response to Sloan’s comments, Kelly stood his ground.

“That’s right! This is exactly what it is – and this is the last time. I spent 20 years on this, and this is the last time I’ll be here,” he said.

The vice-chairman explained that he tries to live by the Ten Commandments. His opposition to displaying the Commandments in area schools was not for religious reasons, he said, but rather to avoid costly litigation.

Although displaying the Ten Commandments on school grounds is legal under North Carolina law, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against the practice.

Having to pay lawyers to defend a lawsuit on the issue would divert funding from the education of local children, he said.

Kelly also accused Wright of spreading misinformation about the Ten Commandments poster. The vote on whether to display the poster never took place because the motion on the issue did not receive a second vote.

Then a proposal to delay the vote until November, which had been supported, failed because it did not receive enough votes.

While Kelly tried to speak on the matter, Cuban and Sloan continued to interrupt him.

Kelly, who was emotional, jokingly said he would throw a water bottle at Cuban if he didn’t stop interrupting him. The Cuban left intermittently. However, Sloan continued to do so.

“We went from the middle of the group to the top ten. If we are not No. 1, then we are in the top ten. We have the best visual acuity in the state. We have the best administration in the state. We went towards this step by step. Don’t let it be torn down,” Kelly said.

Over the past two years, since the election of Cuban, Sloan and Kurn in November 2022, the board has spent too much time bickering and lost focus on students, Kelly said. (Cuban was publicly censured by the board and accused of harassing another board member. Meanwhile, Sloan distinguished himself by saying he could handle the job of Statesville School’s principal, and Kurn joked in a text message to other board members that Statesville School students fighting in Thunderdome for fun.)

“We are here for 21,000 children. That’s what we’re here for,” Kelly said.

He ended his comments by saying he was honored to serve on the board.

Immediately after his comments, Sloan asked Howell, “Do I receive comments from board members?”

“No, you don’t,” replied the chairman. “When you spend 20 years, I will be glad.”

Public schools and religion

Academic lessons on the Bible and other religious texts are permitted in I-SS schools.

Additionally, faith-based partnerships have been a part of I-SS for decades. However, no child is forced to participate in a class or religious club.

The I-SS Bible Association pays for Bible classes in five Iredell County high schools. Money to pay teachers’ salaries is collected privately. The non-profit organization has existed since 1994.

In 2009, the I-SS board voted on a proposal to allow the Good News Club in the district’s elementary schools. Kelly was one of the council members who supported the proposal.