SC school board member to run for reelection amid ethics, lawsuit issues
A controversial Midlands school board member has announced he plans to run for another term in November.
Ken Loveless announced on Facebook that he will run for reelection to the Lexington-Richland 5 school board, where he currently serves as vice chair.
“After much soul searching and prayers, (my wife) Jondy and I wanted to let all know that we agree on my plan to run again for school board,” Loveless wrote Tuesday night. “We have a new administration that deserves the continuity and leadership that this board brings.”
First elected to the board in 2018, Loveless was part of the board that appointed current superintendent Akil Ross after the controversial departure last year of former superintendent Christina Melton, with whom Loveless and other board members had a tense relationship.
That bumpy transition led to criticism from parents in the district and prompted a lawsuit on behalf of The State Media Co. challenging the initial approval of Melton’s resignation agreement.
Loveless made the announcement the same day The State reported he will face ethics charges before the S.C. Ethics Commission about his relationship with a construction company that had a contract with the school district. Loveless is accused of participating in discussions about and overseeing Contract Construction’s work on Piney Woods Elementary School when he should have recused himself because of his own company’s work with Contract Construction on a separate project.
Loveless has touted his expertise on construction issues, highlighting issues with the Piney Woods projects and other construction projects since a contentious 2008 bond referendum in the district. Lexington-Richland 5 is currently planning a new $150 million bond referendum this fall. That plan is moving forward even as an outside auditing firm flagged possible “waste, fraud and abuse” in its review of spending decisions in the district, including some that seem to have been made without board approval.
Loveless has also garnered attention for two lawsuits he filed against constituents who had criticized him on Facebook, alleging the comments were defamatory. A Facebook group that was critical of the school board was shut down by its administrator, a parent in the district, after she was sued for comments posted there.
Filing for four non-partisan school board seats in Lexington-Richland 5 will open in August. In addition to Loveless’ seat, there will also be races for the seats of board chairwoman Jan Hammond, board secretary Nikki Gardner and board member Tiffani Moore, who was elected in a special election last year.
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