NEWS

Pressure on for Shelling to resign; board ready to censure

Bonnie Bolden
bbolden@thenewsstar.com

One Monroe City School Board member, saying he was speaking for his colleagues, said they hope Brenda Shelling will resign and are prepared to ask her to do so.

Brenda Shelling resigned last week at the Monroe City School Board.s vice president.

Bill Willson said the board is ready to Shelling's resignation at the next meeting and take action against her. If Shelling doesn't resign, board members are ready to censure her and remove her from all committee assignments. Shelling was not present at the Tuesday meeting.

Willson cited multiple instances of Shelling making racist comments, cursing or acting aggressively. The most recent incident involved Shelling saying she hates white people and homosexuals. Other incidents involved cursing and calling former board member Clarence Sharp a racial slur. Sharp is African-American.

The News-Star left a message on Shelling's voicemail, asking if she had a response to the statements. Minutes later, someone at the same phone number called back but hung up after four seconds without saying anything.

Board President Rodney McFarland said a censure would put the board's feelings on the record but not have any other effect. Willson said the board has no legal authority to remove Shelling from office — her constituents could hold a recall election or she could resign.

He said this is not an official request for her resignation and he is under the impression that would have to be an agenda item. He said if Shelling resigns, he is unsure whether someone from her district would be appointed to fill the remainder of her term or if a special election would be held.

Willson said seeing comments online that say the whole board needs to be removed is hurtful. He doesn't want people to think the rest of the board condones Shelling's actions.

Shelling launches social media attack

The board elected Vickie Dayton to be vice president to succeed Shelling, who resigned at the board's Sept. 15 meeting. Dayton had been serving as interim vice president.

McFarland thanked the board for the tone of the meeting. "The climate has now changed," he said.

McFarland said he had received a call that the contract he brokered with Superintendent Brent Vidrine had not been ratified by the board. He said historically, the board giving approval for him to make a contract has been acceptable, and the present members unanimously voted to ratify the contract.

Board attorney Doug Lawrence said the move was "out of an abundance of caution."

The board agreed to award a bid on the Wossman High School fieldhouse and renovations to the lowest bidder with the stipulation that the project stay under $3 million. There was debate over the project's budget at the Sept. 15 meeting. The board had allocated $2.3 million for the project, and the lowest bid was $4.4 million. Vidrine agreed to work with William McElroy, owner of the M3A Architecture firm, and get the project more in line with the district's budget between the meetings.

Facilities committee chair Brandon Johnson said the group's most recent meeting went well, and many projects are moving forward. He said the Neville roof project is expected to be completed next summer, well before deadline.

Board member Daryll Berry said he's excited that projects in his district, such the field house and work at Carroll High School, are making progress.

Shelling resigns as school board VP

At 1:50 p.m. Friday, Billy E. Pee will be honored at Sallie Humble Elementary School. In April, the board voted to name the gym at Sallie Humble Elementary in his honor.

Pee is a former principal of Sallie Humble Elementary School and the former head basketball and golf coach at Neville High School. He led Neville to five Louisiana State Championships, including the 1984 4A Basketball State Championship, as well as the 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1979 4A Golf State Championships. The school also had three state champion runner-up finishes.

McFarland said the next meeting will be Oct. 18 if its deemed necessary or Nov. 15.

Follow Bonnie Bolden on Twitter @Bonnie_Bolden_ and on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/1RtsEEP.