This comment from Leigh Touchton,

President, Valdosta-Lowndes NAACP,
came in Monday on
This is not representative of the people:

Tonight I went to the VBOE meeting and delivered the offical NAACP letter


stating our branch’s opposition to consolidation. I asked Chairman Warren
Lee if he would discuss with VBOE attorney Gary Moser and let me know
whether they are “allowed” to take a position on this. The reason I
asked this is because one of my friends says that Dr. Cason told her
that “they are not allowed” to take a position on this. To my mind,
employees might not be able to take a position, but elected officials
representing voters ought to clearly state their position on an issue
as important as school consolidation.

After the meeting was over

(it was a short meeting) I spoke to Board


member Vanessa Flucas and she refused to commit to a position, she
brushed me off and told me to speak to Chairman Lee. I asked Chairman Lee
directly and he said he would discuss with

Gary Moser, the VBOE attorney,
and get back to me.

Then I asked Chairman Lee if the VBOE would please hold public
meetings so they could hear from their parents what they thought about
consolidation. He said something to the effect of he did not think that
was appropriate because the parents had already elected him and the Board
to represent them. ????? I hope I misunderstood. I told him that I had
heard that some Board members were elected with intention to support
consolidation but that I hadn’t heard anything about that from any of
them when they were running. He said he didn’t know anything about that.

I’ll let LAKE know if the VBOE members ever take a public stand on
school consolidation.

-Leigh Touchton