The Spotsylvania County School Board voted to deny Lee Hill District representative Lisa Phelps the ability to participate in Monday’s work session remotely after she did not communicate her intentions directly to Chair Lorita Daniels.
Phelps emailed Board Clerk Patty Boller at 2:50 p.m. Monday to alert board members of her plans of remote participation. Boller responded at 3:48 p.m. that the message was received, and she would contact Daniels and give Phelps a call later.
Board policy states that members may participate remotely instead of attending in person if they notify the chair in advance and provide a reason, such as a medical condition, family illness or other personal matters.
Daniels said Phelps’ request was insufficient because she did not contact her directly, nor did she provide a reason she was unable to attend in person.
“If we’re going to make our school board better, make our board governance better, we have to start following policies,” Daniels said. “They’re there for a reason. They’re not there to be overlooked. We will do our best to make sure everyone has a voice in this process, but at the same time we should be setting an example for all board members.”
During the work session, Vice Chair Nicole Cole made a motion to allow Phelps to participate remotely, and it was seconded by Livingston District representative Megan Jackson.
However, after comments from Chancellor District board member Belen Rodas, they both voted against the motion. which then failed 5-0. In addition to Phelps, April Gillespie of the Berkeley District was not present.
Phelps fired off several emails Monday night expressing her displeasure with the outcome of the vote.
“I did notify the board clerk who said she notified you and received an email response stating such,” Phelps wrote to Daniels and other school officials. “I did follow POLICY BBD, and the law.”
Phelps said she was awaiting a call from Boller at the start of the meeting at 6 p.m., but her phone did not ring. The meeting was called to order at 6:06 p.m., and three minutes later the discussion began regarding Phelps’ remote participation.
Rodas said she voted to deny Phelps because “I just think we have to start following our own policies at some point.”
“I’m sure when I participated remotely once, I’m not saying I did it perfectly, but we’ve been tightening this up and I think we just have to follow policy,” Rodas said.
Daniels told the Free Press that she did not know about Phelps’ email to Boller until she arrived at the meeting, and “that is why it is important for board members to follow policy and contact the chair directly.”
In one of Phelps’ emails, she told school officials, including Superintendent Clint Mitchell, that she was shocked by the board’s vote.
“I logged in to join, and to my surprise, hearing the chair tell the entire board I did not contact her to inform her of my request for electronic participation for tonight’s meeting was exasperating,” Phelps said.
Phelps accused Daniels and Mitchell of purposely omitting her conversation with Boller and called for an investigation by SCPS Director of Organizational Compliance Dennis Martin and an opinion from the board’s attorney, Micah Schwartz.
Phelps wrote in an email to Mitchell “please do not tell the public untruths,” noting that she emailed Boller prior to 3 p.m.
Mitchell informed Phelps after the meeting had started, at 6:12 p.m., that he was in meetings all day, and was just seeing her messages. He reiterated to her that she must notify the chair if she wishes to participate remotely. Phelps accused Mitchell of “perpetuating an outright lie,” that she did not communicate her intentions.
“I did, in fact, contact the board, referencing electronic participation at tonight’s public school board meeting,” Phelps wrote. “You are denying me attending the meeting tonight on the basis of not letting the chair know I wanted to participate. You did not address any medical or personal matters that I have.”
Daniels sent one response to Phelps, informing her that contacting the chair is proper protocol. She added the entire policy to the email, including the requirement to provide a reason.
“I do think it is unfortunate that Ms. Phelps did not go about notifying the chair in the appropriate manner and I would hope that we can do a little bit better of a job moving forward and follow our own policy,” Jackson said. “We cannot continue to keep giving chances.”
