A Hamilton County school board member is defending her comments about a building deal involving the Northgate Mall after criticism from educators and faith leaders that her remarks were xenophobic, Islamophobic or both.
The board member, Rhonda Thurman, did not respond to requests for comment from the Times Free Press for a story about the controversy earlier this week. After it published, she criticized the story on a website called The Chattanoogan.
Her opinion piece called the Times Free Press story “fake news,” even though it was based on comments she made at a videotaped meeting and people’s reactions to them.
“My comments at Monday’s school board agenda meeting did not make one reference to anyone’s race or religion,” Thurman wrote.
The meeting concerned the potential purchase of the former Sears at Northgate Mall for a school building from real estate investors including local developer and Islamic leader Bassam Issa.