Burke school board postpones vote on facility naming policy, joins national social media lawsuit

Burke County Public Schools (BCPS) board members concluded at Monday’s work session that the district’s policy for naming facilities is not yet ready for approval and postponed the vote indefinitely.

Several big questions were raised at the meeting: Where is the line between healthy limitations and creating a policy that is too prohibitive? When BCPS property is renamed, is it permanent or is there a time limit? What happens if a victim of sexual assault comes forward with allegations against someone whose name is plastered onto a school property?

With these questions and others in mind, board member Sonya Rockett suggested the policy was not ready for implementation. Other board members agreed.

Postponing the vote allows Superintendent Mike Swan more time to fine-tune the policy with help from a subcommittee.

Rockett and board member Leslie Taylor are two members of the subcommittee.

DISCUSSION

Taylor suggested an approach with three categories: school buildings, facilities, and individual recognitions. The process for requesting district property to be renamed would be the same for all categories.

“I would like to see a formal nomination application,” Taylor said, “(Something) where we know who requested it (and) who else from their organization … (helped).”

Rockett asked whether a property would be permanently renamed. Taylor said it doesn’t have to be and agreed this was an important consideration.

Taylor also brought up school properties that have already been renamed, saying, “We need to make sure that those are … grandfathered in.”

Swan also raised the concern of what to do when allegations of sexual assault are made against someone for whom a property is named.

“And normally, what do we do about cost? Does the school district cover the cost to have that name applied and have that plaque created?” Rockett asked.

Swan said when the Heritage Middle School football field was renamed for longtime coach and educator Allen Lowman, the community raised money to cover the cost.

Ultimately, the board decided the policy needed more time to perfect, and the vote was postponed indefinitely.

NATIONAL SOCIAL MEDIA LAWSUIT

Attorney Anna Gillespie, from the board’s legal firm Campbell Shatley PLLC, spoke with the board about joining a class action lawsuit filed by school boards across the country, alleging social media companies such as Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Google (YouTube), and Snap, Inc. (Snapchat) have been detrimental to students’ mental health.

The board voted unanimously to join the lawsuit.