A Hamilton County school board member is under fire for comments she posted on Facebook about small business closures amid the coronavirus pandemic, as well as allegedly disparaging comments against teachers.
In a Facebook post on April 1, school board member Rhonda Thurman, of District 1, questioned why "all of the people telling you not to work have not missed a paycheck" and questioned businesses that were closing under local and state mandates.
In a storm of comments and back and forth debates with others, Thurman said that the deadly coronavirus outbreak had been caused by "the Chinese population of NYC" and asked why people were more concerned about the recent death of child under five years old due to the coronavirus than children who died from the flu this year.
In an initial letter addressed to the school board and Superintendent Bryan Johnson, an anonymous complainant accused Thurman of encouraging people to break the law and endangering public health.
"Obviously she is entitled to her opinion," the letter reads and continues to reference the now-deleted Facebook post. "She goes on to say that the government 'Does not have my consent to destroy the financial lives of those who have sacrificed to start businesses' and that 'they cannot arrest us all.' I feel that these statements move beyond personal opinion, given her status as an elected official and member of the government she seems to despise, and become encouragement for others to break the directives of the city, county and state governments, thus endangering public health."
The second complaint, filed Monday by six representatives of Hamilton County United, a teacher advocacy group, was in response to Thurman's counterattack following the initial complaint.
"Rhonda Thurman, District 1 representative on the School Board, made false accusations about the teacher group, Hamilton County United, when she clearly stated that the group was behind a letter of complaint against her. Unfortunately, these accusations were made on her Facebook page," Carrie Bishop, a reading and language arts teacher at Hixson Middle School and member of Hamilton County United, wrote in the email to Johnson on Monday. "We believe Mrs. Thurman violated Article III, Section 3 of MY RELATIONS TO TEACHERS AND PERSONNEL which states, 'I will not criticize employees publicly but will make such criticism to the director of schools for investigation and action if necessary.' Instead of taking her criticisms to Dr. Johnson, Mrs. Thurman posted them on Facebook."
Bishop goes on to accuse Thurman of violating board policy by attacking "teachers' knowledge as educators" and not standing up for teachers.
"In addition, the comments that she allows and engages with on her Facebook post take it even further by calling educators 'whiney lil b--s.' She has the ability to delete other people's comments, as well as defend teachers, yet she does not," Bishop writes.
Thurman denies ever using foul language or characterizing teachers in such a way. She said another Facebook user wrote the comment calling teachers "whiney".
"It's a downright lie," Thurman told the Times Free Press on Wednesday.
Thurman did respond to other aspects of the complaint as well, in several Facebook posts Tuesday.
"With the lack of knowledge this bunch has about American history, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and basic civil rights and liberty, they are making this way too easy," Thurman wrote in the second Facebook post on Monday.
Thurman holds to her opinion and said the lack of knowledge of her civil liberties and First Amendment rights are embarrassing.
"I didn't give up my rights when I became an elected official," Thurman told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "Elected officials are allowed to say whatever we want to, we are not bound by anything, I don't understand where they are getting this.
"This is insanity."
Thurman said she does continue to have doubts about the financial impact of closing small businesses and the impact widespread unemployment will have on Hamilton County, especially District 1.
She said the complaints are related to the upcoming campaign season - Thurman is running for re-election against Stephen Vickers, a first-time candidate who swooped in to qualify at the last minute.
"If the people of District 1 want this guy to represent them, they can have him. All he is is a mouthpiece for Hamilton County United," Thurman added. "I don't answer to anyone."
Both Johnson and board chairman Joe Wingate, of District 7, acknowledged that they had received the complaints this week. Johnson, who is employed by and under the direction of the board, did not have a comment and directed questions to Wingate.
Under Hamilton County Schools school board policy, the duties of individual board members include "representing at all times the entire school community and refusing to represent special interests or partisan politics" (Article 2, Section 2) and not "criticizing employees publicly" (Article 3, Section 3).
The policy does allow for ethics complaints to be brought to the board, which can establish a School District Ethics Committee to vote on a complaint or send it to the Tennessee School Board Association (TBSA) for further review.
Wingate had little to say as far as next steps Tuesday. He said he was trying to catch up and dig into the issue and planned to talk with the board's attorney Scott Bennett about the issue.
"The bottom line is, you're an elected official and you answer to your constituents," Wingate told the Times Free Press.
Kendra Young, a science teacher at East Hamilton School and member of Hamilton County United, said her focus will be on supporting a candidate to run against Thurman, who is known for her sometimes controversial opinions on the board.
"I think it is disappointing that she has continued to post comments like this. She is supposed to be a representative and a professional, and her comments are unethical and unprofessional," Young said. "But it has to be District 1's decision."
Contact Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.