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School officials upset by newspaper coverage

By Lynn Hotaling
County school officials, apparently displeased with the way some of their decisions have been reported, amended their agenda Monday night (March 6) to express their dissatisfaction to area print journalists.

Board member Ray Trine spoke first during Monday's continuation of the Jackson County Board of Education's Feb. 28 meeting.

After saying he didn't want to "stir up any more flak," Trine said he had "a couple of comments" for the newspapers. Reporters from The Sylva Herald and Cashiers Crossroads Chronicle were present.

He first took issue with a Chronicle editorial that equated school board actions taken in secret with covert actions taken by totalitarian regimes, and accused that paper of calling the school board "Nazis."

The Chronicle's editorial, "Open meetings laws need teeth," published Feb. 16, stated, "Fascism and Communism came into being through decisions made behind closed doors."

Trine then objected to The Herald's mention of his name twice in its March 2 edition in connection with the board's lack of knowledge that speeches were given by a valedictorian and salutatorian during the last six Smoky Mountain High School graduations. (Trine had daughters graduate in 1994 and 1998.)

Trine's comments were made, he said, not to defend himself but to express his concern that the high school and community are "mired" in the valedictorian controversy because of "what's been in the newspapers." Graduation should be a positive experience, he said. "We need to have a wonderful graduation for the kids."

The second-year board member also targeted a headline in this newspaper's Feb. 10 edition ("Secret deal eliminates SMHS valedictorian,"). "Secret deal was meant to arouse the public," Trine said. He suggested that "confidential agreement" would have been a better choice.

Trine said a statement attributed to SMHS Principal Ken Henke in the March 2 Sylva Herald is incorrect. In a front-page story on the board's Feb. 28 meeting, Henke is quoted as saying, "I just didn't remember. I said we didn't have (a valedictorian and salutatorian) and nobody questioned it."

Not true, said Trine. "Not only did we question it, we questioned it repeatedly. (Board member) Ali (Laird-Large) even brought up a name, but it was 12 a.m. (midnight) and there was no one to call."

Trine said the newspapers, particularly The Herald, have misled the public.

"They think we took something away (from the second-ranked student). We're just trying to do what's best for the community," Trine said.

Board Chairman Martha Queen said the Herald is guilty of not telling the whole story. A Jan. 31 letter sent to Jim and Rena Rowell of Cullowhee was quoted in the Feb. 10 article, she said, but not completely.

By only quoting "the Board of Education has approved a recommendation to eliminate the recognition of valedictorian and salutatorian at commencement exercises for SMHS this year," the newspaper conveyed the message that the board did not intend to honor the second-ranked student at all, Queen said.

In the chairman's opinion, the report should have included the following portion of the letter: "...with the absence of the number one- ranked student, your son (A.J. Rowell) will be asked to participate in the graduation ceremonies as the current highest academically ranked student...Mr. Henke will be directed to work with the guidance faculty and other school administrators to appropriately recognize your son."

"You're (Sylva Herald) not telling the truth by not telling the whole story. It's not right," Queen said. If not for the distortion of the situation by the press, Queen said, the community would realize that the board is concerned about A.J. Rowell and did not want him recognized as the number two student. In fact, she said, board members' intent was to honor A.J. Rowell as the top-ranked student currently in school - he just wouldn't be called valedictorian.

Chairman Queen suggested a meeting with this newspaper's editorial staff to seek a way "to better inform the public without misunderstanding," she said.

The focus of the Herald's Feb. 10 article, was the uncontested fact that during a Dec. 22 closed session, school officials made a deal that eliminated both a valedictorian and salutatorian from this year's graduation. In question was the legality of making a decision to forego traditional graduation titles in closed session. Superintendent Frank Burrell and board attorney Richard Schwartz of Raleigh both confirmed the timing of the decision.

N.C. Press Association lawyer Amanda Martin expressed the opinion that such a decision should have been made openly and could have been done without violating student confidentiality laws. Names of specific students did not have to be attached to the titles during discussion and voting, she said.

Attorney Schwartz disagreed, saying that the action was properly done in closed session because the issue was raised with regard to a single student.

Board member Trine told The Herald several weeks ago that the only mistake the school board has made with regard to the controversy was in making the valedictorian decision in closed session.

The Herald editorialized Feb. 10 that the board acted improperly by acting on the matter during a closed meeting. It was also the newspaper's opinion that if the number one student, Jennifer Parker, could not attend graduation, then top honors should pass to A.J. Rowell. The valedictorian controversy was the subject of the locally-written "Ruralite Cafe" on Feb. 17 and March 2.

The initial article, (Feb. 10) was triggered by the Rowells, who said their son had been treated unjustly in that his earned title, salutatorian, was negotiated away during a closed meeting with first-ranked Parker, her parents and her attorney.

Parker, who was slated to be valedictorian, was indicted March 6 on felony charges stemming from December pipe-bomb detonations that destroyed a portable toilet at the new Scotts Creek school construction site on Parris Branch.

Disciplinary action was taken by school officials against Parker because she stands accused of possessing weapons on school property. As a result of the Dec. 22 agreement, Parker is no longer attending classes at SMHS and will not be allowed to attend graduation. Several sources have confirmed that Parker is suspended from school; however, the school board's Feb. 28 statement says she has not withdrawn and remains "legally" enrolled. On a local radio program Feb. 29, Queen said that Parker has not been expelled.

That lengthy statement did clear the way for A.J. Rowell to be named salutatorian but emphasized that use of the title is the high school's decision. The statement stated unequivocally that there would be no recognition of a valedictorian at SMHS this year.

During the course of discussion March 6, however, board Chairman Queen said "We have a valedictorian - it's Jennifer Parker." Queen then said that Parker won't be recognized as valedictorian.

When told of the school board's allegations that The Herald had reported the news incompletely and in a misleading manner, Herald Publisher Jim Gray was unfazed by the criticism.

"I have complete confidence in this newspaper's integrity and thoroughness. I stand behind my news staff and support them 100 percent," he said.

See Also: 2/24/00 - Petition asks board to reinstate valedictorian

Back to Archive: 03/09/00.