Manning, McKie & Caution-Parker End Their Tenure on R2 School Board
Caution-Parker 
Manning 
McKie
COLUMBIA – With the Richland Two School District under investigation by the state’s Inspector General at the request of S.C. Governor Henry McMaster, three of the District’s majority four school board members have chosen not to run for re-election in November.
Current Board Chair James Manning, Board Secretary Amelia McKee and Board Member Cheryl Caution-Parker, all longtime board members, had not filed with the Richland County Election Commission as of noon on Monday, the deadline to do so.
Holmes, undeterred by the investigation or the increasing acrimony on the board, threw her hat in the ring, seeking a second four-year term.
The three, along with Holmes, used their majority vote to wield power over a discordant board for most of the last four years. During that time, two board members have been arrested for misconduct in conjunction with their board work, and meetings have generally become donnybrooks, with leadership frequently failing to adhere to basic parliamentary procedures when conducting meetings.
In the most recent board melee, former Board Chair Teresa Holmes accused fellow Board Member LaShonda McFadden of threatening her (Holmes’) life during the April 28 executive session. The incident was recorded – though it has never been disclosed by whom – and McFadden was arrested.
McFadden apologized to Holmes and to the school district for her actions in a public statement. She was nevertheless arrested and appeared in magistrate court last week to face her accuser before Judge Philip Newsome. McFadden pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of Disordly/Public disorderly conduct and was charged a fine. The judge suggested that McFadden could apply for an expungement.
While Manning, McKie and Caution-Parker have dropped out of the November race, there are 12 others seeking their seats as well as Holmes’ seat. The candidates are:
- Teresa Holmes
- James Mobley
- McGee Moody
- Angela Nash
- Niki Porter
- Darrel D.S. President
- Eric Rovelli
- Levi J. Smalls
- Terence F. Staley
- Joe Trapp
- Tamika Shuler Washington
- Maryann Wright
The election is set for November 8. The deadline for in-person voter registration is Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. Mail-in voter registrations must be postmarked by Oct. 11, 2022.
The election is non-partisan, and the top four vote-getters will win.
Hello, my name is Niki Porter. I am the 12th candidate that was not printed. I am a certified educator with 14 years of experience within Richland 2 schools where I served as a 4th-5th grade teacher and a Technology and Learning Coach. You can learn more about me at http://www.porter4r2.org. You can find the list of candidates at scvotes.org> candidates > non-partisan > and insert Richland for county. Here you’ll find all 12 and correct spellings for the other candidates listed.
Hey Niki, So sorry we left you out! We will correct that and will be sure you’re included in future stories about the candidates. Thanks for calling that to our attention.
Barbara
Holmes never served a legal 2018-2022 term, because she failed to take the oath-of-office legally. The oath taken on Nov. 13, 2018 was invalid, because she did not file her Statement of Economic Interests Report with the S.C. Ethics Commission until Dec. 4, 2018. To become a legitimate member of the Richland 2 school board, she needed to take the oath on or after Dec. 4, 2018; she never did. Because she was not a legitimate board member, she should never have been elected to an office, such as Chair or Secretary. Despite repeated requests, the Board never addressed that issue publicly.
Is there a document or comparison sheet that briefly states where all the candidates are at on the various issues?
The candidate is Larry Smalls, not Levi.
Please get a more visible photo of Maryann Wright. The present photo could be against the voters.
McKie looks pretty spiffy with her clothing, hair style and jewelry. Maybe she should have to wear a sign that reads, “I owe $57,100 to the S.C. Ethics Commission and am not paying on that debt.”