Anita Kurn removed from school board meeting
A special Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education (ISS) meeting was held Wednesday, June 24. Three members on the school board, again requested seating Matthew Youngblood, who had been sworn in to his position on the school board Tuesday, June 23. The swearing in was done by a notary public who lives in District 2, the district that has been missing a board member since January 30, 2026, when Kevin Angell resigned from his position.
Anita Kurn attempted several times to read the ISS policy for replacing a school board member after a seat is vacated. However, even though Kurn asked for permission to speak to read the policy, the acting board chair, Doug Knight, continually interrupted Kurn as she read the policy. The policy verified that the board was not following the law in failing to seat Youngblood even though he had been sworn in. A motion and a second was made to add the seating of Youngblood to the meeting agenda Brian Sloan asserted that there was nothing further that must be done for Youngblood to take his seat on the school board. Michael Kubiniec offered information about a previous September 7, 2021 board replacement in which Brian Shoemaker was sworn in as a replacement for someone who vacated his seat. No vote by the school board was taken to approve Shoemaker onto the board, as none was required.
Ms. Kurn again asked for permission to speak. After some delay, Acting Chair Knight reluctantly allowed Kurn to begin, but as she read Policy Code: 21151 Unexpired Term Fulfillment, he repeatedly and angrily began to interrupt her. Policy Code 2115 states, in part: “If the vacating member was elected as the nominee of a political party, then the person, board or commission required to fill the vacancy shall consult with the county executive committee of that party and appoint the person recommended by that party executive committee, if the party makes a recommendation within 30 days of the occurrence of the vacancy.”
Why did Knight stop Kurn from reading the policy? Was he embarrassed because he was not following the prescribed policy? After Kurn continued to read the policy that Knight was not following, he repeatedly threatened to have her removed from the meeting and soon called the police to physically come and escort her out. Kubiniec and Sloan left the meeting in protest, which left the board without a quorum.
Unbelievably, Knight attempted to continue with the meeting, but the board attorney instructed him to adjourn. “This was orchestrated and prefabricated and sad that politics is more important than the education of our children.” This statement was made by Knight, who prevented the seating of Youngblood after he was legally selected by the GOP and sworn in to his position by a local notary public. This was only Knight’s opinion. Clearly, he was out of line as his behavior was tyrannical in nature. Who was really playing liberal politics instead of completing school board business?
Below are articles from the North Carolina Constitution which are currently being broken by Knight and his cohorts, Cindy Haynes and Rhonda Hoke.
Article 1: Declaration of Rights
Sec. 2. Sovereignty of the people.
All political power is vested in and derived from the people; all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole. Ordering an appointee to select someone to replace a board member who has vacated his seat works directly against this section 2.
Sec. 3. Internal government of the State.
The people of this State have the inherent, sole, and exclusive right of regulating the internal government and police thereof, and of altering or abolishing their Constitution and form of government whenever it may be necessary to their safety and happiness; but every such right shall be exercised in pursuance of law and consistently with the Constitution of the United States. The people, not an appointee should make the selection of a new board member.
Sec. 5. Allegiance to the United States.
Every citizen of this State owes paramount allegiance to the Constitution and government of the United States, and no law or ordinance of the State in contravention or subversion thereof can have any binding force.
Sec. 12. Right of assembly and petition.
The people have a right to assemble together to consult for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to apply to the General Assembly for redress of grievances; but secret political societies are dangerous to the liberties of a free people and shall not be tolerated. What small groups are discussing how they may go around the laws governing elections for their own selection to take a seat on the board?