LR5 school board member used district email to call for colleagues’ election defeat
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More emails released by the Lexington-Richland 5 school district show a school board member encouraging district residents to vote against some of her colleagues ahead of last November’s election.
In emails sent from her district email address, now board chairwoman Jan Hammond encouraged correspondents emailing her about the district’s reopening strategy to vote for specific candidates in the 2020 election in hopes of changing the board.
“We HAVE to change the board,” Hammond told one email writer on Sept. 15. “The opportunity is here on November 3. (Then board chairman Michael) Cates in Lexington needs to be voted out and (Robert) Gantt in Richland needs to be replaced. Beth Hutchison’s seat is up but she is not running. (Rebecca Blackburn) Hines and (Catherine) Huddle in Lexington and Matt Hogan in Richland is great.”
District policy prohibits the use of “district-owned communication systems, including websites, e-mail or voice mail, to promote or solicit on behalf of any candidate or political party.”
The S.C. Ethics Commission has issued opinions that state law says “No person may use government personnel, equipment, materials, or an office building in an election campaign” or “use or authorize the use of public funds, property, or time to influence the outcome of an election,” definitions the commission has said govern the use of public email accounts.
In an email to The State, Hammond denied that using the district account constituted government equipment.
“I did send my email from my District Five email account rather than from my personal email,” she said. “In hindsight, I should have used my personal email address but do not believe my email violated the SC Ethics laws. I also would note that, in Section 8-13-700(A), the law states that ‘incidental use’ of public equipment for a personal reason, such as the use of a public email address, does not violate Ethics laws.”
The district’s policy, Hammond said, covers district employees who might otherwise use internal communications for political purposes. But she said she hoped the district would look to tighten some of its ethics rules after recent controversies, including a former member being censured by the board last week for violating the confidentiality of a closed-door executive session.
”I would want to look at our policy dealing with ethics,” she said. “I’m so sad about all the negative. I just want to focus on kids.”
The day after her Sept. 15 email, Hammond responded to another email supporting Hammond’s stance on quickly returning students to face-to-face instruction during the pandemic.
“Please spread the word to vote for Hines and Huddle in Lexington county and if you know anyone in Richland county vote for Matt Hogan,” Hammond wrote. “That is how we can get accountable board members.”
Another email asked Hammond for advice on where to put campaign signs ahead of Election Day. “Best place is in the yard of an owner that supports you,” the board member wrote. “In a business with permission of owner. Rightaways (sic) are ok in Irmo city limits they may take some down.”
Hines, Hogan and Huddle all won election to the Lexington-Richland 5 school board last November, flipping the board’s balance in favor of members critical of the previous majority’s cautious COVID-19 strategy and their financial management of a 2008 referendum to renovate and build new schools. The change in membership also made Hammond, a teacher in neighboring Lexington 2, the board’s new presiding officer.
The emails were contained among several released by Lexington-Richland 5 and posted online in response to public requests, following renewed attention on the school board after former State Superintendent of the Year Christina Melton unexpectedly resigned her position last month.
Other emails released to the public shed light on an often tense relationship between board members and Melton. Some board members issued demands and warnings to the superintendent and threats of censure.
One former board member has characterized Melton’s departure as the result of a “hostile and abusive work environment” toward Melton created by some board members, although Hammond has said Melton enjoyed support from the majority of the board and the decision to leave was her own.
This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 12:34 PM.
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