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| About 150 people attended Wednesday's board of education meeteing |
About 150 citizens attended a Crittenden County Board of Education meeting Wednesday evening at Rocket Arena in response to an alleged mock same-sex wedding held during school hours on the middle school campus earlier this month.
Smartphone video of the event was apparently taken by multiple students, based on what could been seen in still frame of the video posted online earlier this week. The screenshot appeared to show students lined up for the fake ceremony on the middle school’s front lawn, many of them holding smartphones in the air either taking photos or recording the event.
The social media post of the screenshot with a short description questioning what had occufred drew almost 300 comments in first few hours online before it was removed.
The Press has obtained and reviewed a video clip of the event that last about three minutes.
Wednesday’s special school board meeting had already been scheduled and its agenda set by the time the controversial event was made public on social media. Kentucky Open Meetings laws require public boards and agencies to limit formal discussion and action to items published on a special meeting’s agenda. Straying from the agenda is a violation of state law.
Although this topic was not specifically on the agenda, there was a provision made for public comment and multiple individuals took that opportunity to voice opinions about the school allowing the alleged mock ceremony on campus during school. Virtually all public comment made during the school board meeting was in opposition to the alleged mock wedding being allowed at school.
Some did speak in defense of at least one educator who may have been associated with the function.
The comment period lasted about two and half hours and 30 people spoke.
School officials made very little comment on the matter during Wednesday’s meeting, citing the fact that the issue remains under investigation by the district.
It is unclear if any personnel or other action has been taken in response the event that allegedly transpired on Sept. 6. Also unclear is whether or not school policy was violated by the alleged event.
Comments were civil during the board meeting and at times drew applause from those who attended. A good bit of Bible scripture was also quoted during comments. Although the teacher or teachers involved in the matter have not been named by the school district, some individuals who spoke during meeting did reference at least one educator by name.
WPSD-TV from Paducah was at the meeting to provide news coverage and multiple law enforcement officers were there, which is uncommon for typical school board meetings in Marion.
The Crittenden Press attended the meeting and will provide further coverage in next week’s full edition of the newspaper.
