“It tells me they’re disappointed in my performance,” Collins told The News Leader after the meeting, accurately putting the reprimand as it is – basically, nothing.
Which is what was warranted, if even a nothingburger reprimand was warranted, given what went down at the forum, which was sponsored by The News Leader and Victory Worship Center.
Chris Graham on the Augusta County School Board controversy
A report on the forum from the Leader offered that an unidentified woman and a man seated next to her had directed comments at Collins throughout the forum, to the point that the event’s moderator stopped the forum several times to ask members of the audience to show respect for the candidates as they were speaking.
Collins, more and more frustrated as this nonsense played out, finally lost control.
“How about shutting up, lady,” he thundered in the direction of the two.
The woman continued to speak until a sheriff’s deputy intervened to restore order.
The School Board vote on Thursday came in a special meeting held ahead of the Board’s regularly scheduled monthly business meeting.
Collins had been under pressure to step down from his role as chairman, but he refused to do so, and he also refused to apologize for the outburst, saying in the meeting that he should have used a “different choice of words” to deal with the frustration over the interruptions.
Two of the five School Board members who voted to reprimand Collins expressed sentiments that what went down wasn’t all the chair’s fault.
John Ward said he felt an apology was due “from those who sponsored the forum without establishing boundaries to keep control during that meeting. This would be the Victory Worship Center and the Staunton News Leader.”
David Shiflett feels the blame for what happened needs to be shared by Collins and the woman.
“It’s a sad commentary on our society when we cannot have a civil discussion,” Shiflett said. “I think the public has a certain responsibility to at least be civil and allow people to speak.”
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