Georgetown schools need to be held accountable for treatment of Blacks, local NAACP says

The NAACP chapter in Georgetown County is calling for the superintendent of the school district to be held accountable for what the chapter says is unfair treatment of Black students and administration.

President Deontay Winchester said June 16 that Superintendent Keith Price should be removed if nothing is done to address several incidents that have happened recently, including what led to two racial discrimination lawsuits filed against the district.

Winchester declined to comment on the lawsuits due to ongoing litigation, but said the chapter was aware of them.

Kristi Kibler, the district’s director of communications, as well as the school system’s superintendent’s office did not return a request for comment made by The Sun News on Friday afternoon.

False accusations, unfair hiring practices

A specific example Winchester used was a Black female middle school student falsely accused of vandalism and was suspended, compared to students who caused about $30,000 in damage who were sent to ISS, or in-school suspension — a “slap on the wrist,” he said.

For the female Black student who was suspended, he said no apologies were made from Superintendent Keith Price or other board members.

“The school board is failing to hold the superintendent accountable,” Winchester said.

Winchester also stated that the district’s hiring practices were unfair, claiming that several Black applicants to administrative positions were being overlooked over white counterparts.

As for next steps, Winchester said the chapter wants to continue to inform the community of these incidents so they can make an informed decision when it comes time to cast a ballot.

“We have to take care of all of our students,” he said.

Lawsuits filed against Georgetown school district

Tonja Johnson, current assistant principal at Andrews Elementary School, is suing the district for her removal from her principal role at Maryville Elementary School in 2022.

Larry Odom, the current principal of Carvers Bay High School, is also suing the district and claims that he has been treated “unfairly, disrespectfully, and as an inferior person,” because he is Black, despite his education and performance on the job, according to the suit.

Carvers Bay High School was recognized as a school of excellence under the American College Application Campaign in 2021, under Odom’s leadership. The campaign recognizes schools that increase the number of first-generation college students and students from low-income families.