Tempers flare at Johnston Co. Board of Ed meeting over 'unprofessional comments' about a teacher

Tempers flared Monday at a Johnston County Board of Education meeting, where yelling and heated discussions were heard over a lawsuit filed by a current board member. The 8:30 a.m. special meeting was called to release findings from the school board's attorney, Poyner Spruill, LLP, and investigators after an unnamed teacher sent a grievance to the board regarding new school board member Michelle Antoine, who was elected last November. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, Antoine filed a lawsuit against the Johnston County Board of Education and the board's chair. A state superior court judge sealed the lawsuit, obscuring most of the details surrounding it. Much of that lawsuit was revealed Monday in a special meeting called after the lawsuit was dismissed by Antoine's lawyers and after a temporary restraining order on it expired.

A teacher made a grievance on May 9 against Antoine, according to the lawsuit, alleging there was inappropriate collaboration between Antoine, another school board member and a teacher in the filing of several false grievances. Of the three allegations filed, the board attorney and investigators found that Antoine was not fully truthful in the investigation and that she made inappropriate and disparaging comments about a teacher. Monday's 8:30 a.m. meeting lasted less than one hour and was heated all the way through.

Board member Terry Tippett was heard screaming, "You are the most unprofessional person seen on any board ... do not interrupt me. Do you want to threaten me?" The board voted 5 to 2 that Antoine could answer the report findings in an affidavit form, or a written statement where the signing party swears that the contents of the document are true and correct.

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