I am writing to you as the duly elected Iredell-Statesville Board Member representing District 7. On June 24, 2026, I was removed from a public school board meeting at the direction of the Acting Chair. This action exceeded the authority of the chair under North Carolina law and violated my due process rights as an elected official.
North Carolina law does not grant the chair the power to unilaterally remove an elected board member from a meeting. Under G.S. 143-318.17, a person may be removed from a public meeting only when there is “willful, actual disruption” and the person has refused to stop after being directed to do so. Reading or referencing board policy during a meeting is a core duty of an elected board member. There is no established time limit for recognized board members to speak under North Carolina statute, board policy, or Roberts Rules of Order. The acting chair directing me to stop reading board policy does not constitute willful, actual disruption under this statute.
The North Carolina Court of Appeals decision in *State v. Barthel* (2025) holds that speech or conduct that does not actually obstruct the meeting does not qualify as disruption. The decision further states that removals based on speculation, disagreement with the content of speech, or a desire to avoid discomfort are not lawful.
Additionally, the unilateral removal of an elected board member without a vote of the full board violates due process. Elected officials have a protected interest in their office. Any action to discipline, silence, or remove a board member must be taken by the board as a whole through proper procedure, not by the chair acting alone.
There is a clear distinction between the chair’s authority over members of the public and over elected board members. The chair has broader authority to manage and, when necessary, remove non-board members who disrupt a meeting. However, the chair has no comparable authority to unilaterally remove or silence a fellow elected board member.
Because the chair has no independent authority to order the removal of an elected member, and because no willful, actual disruption occurred, the June 24th removal was not authorized by law and violated my due process rights
I remain committed to serving the students, faculty, and community of Iredell-Statesville Schools.
