School Board Meeting Heats Up as Citizens Criticize Board
“ . . . I am not here because it is easy. I am here because what is happening in our schools is wrong and silence would be completely complicit,” stated Ms. Katina Mays during the Hardeman County school board meeting, which was held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.
Ms. Mays was one of many community members who addressed the board during the August meeting to share their concerns about the way the board manages itself. Board members who attended the meeting included Jennifer Aylor, Patricia Carter, Johnny Davis, Anthony Ford, Bobby Henderson (chairman), Brad Polk, Gene Ross, and Stacey Swift. Board member Kenny Adkins was absent.
After the meeting was called to order and opened, Chairman Bobby Henderson stated Ms. Katina Mays requested to be added to the agenda to discuss three different topics, which included board of education discrimination, board budget, and board retaliation of past actions. She was given three minutes to address the board.
“ . . . Our director of schools, Dr. Smith, and some board members have engaged in actions that are not just and ethical. They are discriminatory, misrepresent principles, and especially older employees have been targeted. Jobs have been dissolved, salaries have been taken without warning, and retirements manipulated to push people out,” said Ms. Mays, who also spoke about the school bus routes. “One principal was stripped of bus routes forcing children onto an unsafe route. When he’s not on that route, it is unsafe, and we have a letter from a principal to prove that. Is that what we are calling putting kids first?”
Ms. Mays noted Whiteville Elementary School, CoreCivic, and pastors in the Whiteville community replaced needed blinds at the school and provided “basic supplies” for the students. According to Ms. Mays, over $7,000 was spent and none of the money came from the school district.
“That is shameful,” said Ms. Mays.
She called out by name, Dr. Smith, Mr. Henderson, and Mr. Ross as having treated fellow board members with bias and noted are now threatening sports programs in the schools.
“This is not leadership. It is abuse of power. The budget is a black box we don’t know. If positions were quietly absorbed into other salaries . . . where’s the money? Which schools got the $150,000? Why is the maintenance director, as much as I like and love him, make more than Doctors of Education? Who approved this? Who benefits from this secrecy from this board?,” said Ms. Mays. “Every time a leader makes a decision like this, it tells our students, families, and staff, fairness is negotiable . . . transparency is optional and sometimes, some voices just don’t matter, and that is unacceptable. I am calling on the board to act now. Investigate these actions. Remove Dr. Smith!”
Ms. Mays urged the board to hold everyone accountable and to put in place clear and fair transparent policies, which will protect every staff member, every student, and every taxpayer dollar.
“Our schools should be a place of safety, integrity, and respect. Right now, they are not,” said Ms. Mays “They start at the top and tonight I am asking that you lead with courage because our children and community are watching!”
Before taking her seat, Ms. Mays handed out public records request forms to each board member, so they could submit their own request for a copy of Dr. Smith’s contract. According to Ms. Mays, some board members have been trying to get a copy of the contract for months and have been unsuccessful. Ms. Mays also added she would be submitting, at the close of the meeting, a public records request for Dr. Smith’s contract and e-mails and text shared between Dr. Smith, Mr. Henderson, and Mr. Ross. That communication she said clearly violates the Sunshine Law.
For the public comments period of the meeting, people from the community who spoke included the following:
Jeff Herron – Spoke about school board policy 1.103 – Board Self-Evaluation {7:10 minute mark}
Trinna Patterson – Discussed her concerns about how the board exercises its authority, fulfills its duties, and adheres to its own policies. She stressed the community’s need for transparency, accountability, and adherence to the rules the board wants to uphold. {10:10 minute mark}
Katharine Taylor Lanier – Shared data regarding staffing at Bolivar Middle School, which she said was obtained through a public records request. According to Ms. Lanier, during the 2021/2022 school year, BMS had 22.5 regular teachers and the numbers continue to decrease where in 2025/2026, it is now 14.5 teachers. She suggested this may be a methodical plan of Dr. Smith’s to convert BMS into an elementary school. Ms. Lanier questioned the appearance of efforts being made to dismantle BMS instead of strengthening it. {12:58 minute mark}
Ms. Mays, who addressed the board for a second time during the public comments period, shared a parable about a clean house, flies, and garbage {16:50 minute mark}
Dr. Brian Mays, who was moved with emotion, stated, “I haven’t figured out when we got to the point where one person is more important than . . . why we value one person’s value over others . . . the board represents community . . . if you [or one of your family members] worked for me . . . and I constantly demean them and gave them false numbers to make them feel more pressure in a hostile work environment . . . you guys know this is going on . . . do your job.” {19:21 minute mark}
The school board meeting continued with the other items on the agenda. Although none of the concerns brought by the community members were addressed by any of the board members, Dr. Smith made a comment before the meeting was adjourned.
“I will say that I hope the community listens and I hope the community realizes there are two sides to every story,” said Dr. Smith.
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