School Board Meeting Tensions

In what had been a typical Monroe City Schools Board meeting on Tuesday July 16, 2024, got sidetracked over a highly charged political issue between board member Bill Willson and Monroe Federation of Teacher's Union President Sandie Lollie. The verbal exchange between Willson and Lollie occurred near the end of the meeting during the "Report of Board Members" segment on the agenda where each board member gives an update as to what is going on in their respective districts. When it came to Willson's turn to speak, he immediately started talking about the recent attempted assassination of Donald Trump. That drew an equally sharp rebuke from Lollie as Willson continued to speak while board president Jennifer Haneline restored order, allowing Willson to finish his remarks. But Willson's remarks seemingly had nothing to do with school board business on the agenda, seeing that Trump's situation is something that the school board can't do anything about. Willson said, "we have to dial down the temperature of politics in our country because we got people...He then switched gears by saying toward where Lollie was sitting saying, "You and I may not always agree on things, we have been agreeable more than disagreeable, and we have found common ground to work together". He even made a reference to how he and fellow board member Brenda Shelling "work" together. But Lollie defended herself saying in an interview that Willson's remarks had nothing to do with school board issues. But what was appalling was that as Willson was speaking about an issue that is highly politically charged, none of the board members including Haneline tried to remind Willson that what he was saying was not germane to board business. It seemed as if everyone else turned a deaf ear, "a hear, don't hear" attitude. None of the Black board members said anything. But, according to sources, this is not the first time that Willson has brought politics into school board business. When Trump came to Monroe some time ago, Willson allegedly "invited" fellow board members to come to the event. At a time when talk of being "civil" in politics is mentioned, the best way is to handle things is in the appropriate settings, not at a school board meeting. How can you keep politics out where it doesn't belong, if you keep bringing it up?