CHARLOTTE — The race for the District One seat on the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board is heating up as incumbent Melissa Easley faces challengers Bill Fountain and Charlitta Hatch.
Melissa Easley, who won the seat in 2022 by defeating longtime incumbent Rhonda Cheek, is running for re-election in a less crowded field this time. Easley emphasized her qualifications and commitment to prioritizing students and teachers over party politics in an interview with Channel 9’s Joe Bruno.
“I can appreciate other people wanting to jump in, but I believe my experience and dedication to the board’s goals make me a strong candidate,” Easley stated.
Bill Fountain, a regular at Board of Education meetings, has run for the Board of Education multiple times. He criticized CMS’s focus on social and emotional learning, arguing it undermines academic excellence and moral values taught at home.
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Easley has faced criticism from Fountain, who accuses her of promoting a social agenda that he said he believes undermines family values.
“Her social agenda is different than mine,” he said. “Because I don’t support the ideas of the gay pride parades and working in those types of things…that’s the reason I get back to this idea of undermining family values”
Easley counters these claims, describing them as personal attacks and expressing anger over Fountain’s comments about her family.
“I have spent three years watching my opponent call me an abomination, that I should not have rights, that I should not be accepted, and that I should be considered a lesser citizen, and I have not been able to respond,” she said. “He has addressed my family, he has shared images of my kids out in public, and frankly, I’m angry. I’m still angry that he’s continuing to do it.”
Charlitta Hatch, endorsed by the Mecklenburg County Democrats, brings her experience as the former president of the Junior League of Charlotte and her ongoing doctoral studies in urban education to the race.
The candidates have differing views on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) measures within CMS. Fountain said he opposes what he sees as DEI initiatives disguised as social-emotional learning, while Hatch supports DEI, emphasizing the importance of belonging for students.
See the candidates’ full interviews with Bruno in the video at the top of this page.
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