Guilford County School Board rejects GOP pick for vacant seat — again

The District 3 seat on the Guilford County Board of Education remains vacant following a vote Tuesday night to reject the GOP appointment. 

The position opened when former school board member Pat Tillman was elected to the Board of Commissioners in November. Since Tillman is a Republican, the county GOP was tasked with recommending his replacement. But the school board has now rejected the appointment, Michael Logan, twice. 

Logan, a Guilford County Schools teacher, spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting on Jan. 10 before the board took its second vote. He referenced the novel, Life is Funny — a book the school board recently voted to keep in a high school library after a parent complained about its mature content. 

“And I will be honest, I'm here because of the book. Because Life is Funny. And it's not very funny,” Logan said. “That book should have been removed from the schools. And District 3 should have had a voice in that. And anything else that comes up, District 3 should have a voice in that.”

Multiple GCS parents expressed concerns about the potential impact of Logan’s voice on the school board. One parent, Jennifer Shaw, praised the board’s decision to reject his appointment last month.

“Additional members of the board need to actively affirm every child regardless of their multiple identities,” Shaw said. “And I don't think that that's the case for Mr. Logan.”

GOP Chairman David Gleeson argued that it was the board’s responsibility to approve the appointment. 

“We believe the statute is relatively clear. The GOP has the prerogative to nominate and recommend. We have done that,” he said during public comment. “The school board has an obligation to fulfill your statutory obligation and appoint him. It's relatively simple.”

He added that the GOP does not wish to have a “contentious relationship” with the board. 

The board’s attorney, Jill Wilson, said the statute is not as simple as Gleeson claims. She says there is a reason a majority vote of the board is required for filling a vacancy. 

“I have to assume the reason that the legislators added the language that requires a majority vote is because you're accountable to the voters,” Wilson told the board. “A non-elected body is not accountable to anyone. But you, my friends, are accountable to the voters. And that's why a majority vote is required.”

The second vote for Logan failed 6-2, with only Republican board members Linda Welborn and Crissy Pratt voting in his favor. 

Following the meeting, the Guilford County Republican Party Facebook page shared a post saying they would "continue to pursue aggressively our options including legal remedies" regarding the failed vote. 

The board will reconsider Logan’s appointment at their meeting on Jan. 26.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.