CHARLOTTE — CMS Vice Chair Elizabeth Monterrey Duvall confirms she told the CMS Board she was resigning as vice chair but now she plans to stay in the position until at least December.
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Duvall said she was going to resign because of “security concerns” since Tuesday’s meeting when she and other board members voted to fire Superintendent Crystal Hill. However, she decided to remain on the board.
The vice chair said she hopes “menacing messages” will stop so they can get back to business.
Duvall said her announcement was the interest of helping the board rebuild trust and stabilize its services to students.
During Tuesday night’s CMS School Board meeting, Duvall said someone threatened her.
“I’m getting threatened by text here,” she said at the meeting. “Somebody said they can show me better than I can tell you. I would like them escorted, or I will leave. That gentleman right there is texting me, and he’s bullying me, and he’s threatening me. I don’t feel safe. If he could please leave, thank you. “He said, ‘You think it’s funny, but I know everything, and the truth is coming out. I can show you better than I can tell you.’ I don’t know what that means. I feel very unsafe.”
After Duvall spoke up, police surrounded the man and removed him from the meeting room. It’s been three days since Duvall was named vice chair at that meeting, and she now says she considered stepping down from her new role.
“I feel scared,” she said.
Later, Duvall said she sent an email to the board saying she could no longer serve as vice chair due to security concerns for herself and her family since the Sept. 22 board meeting.
But in a statement on Friday, she said: “After speaking to colleagues and my family, I have decided to remain as vice chair until December of this year, when the board votes for chair and vice chair, as part of our normal process.”
Channel 9 asked CMPD if there is an investigation into this. We haven’t heard back.
Full statement from Duvall:
“It recently came to my attention that an email I sent to the Board of Education was provided to the media. In that email, I expressed to the board that I could no longer serve as vice chair due to security concerns I have for myself and my family since the September 22 board meeting. After speaking to colleagues and my family, I have decided to remain as vice chair until December of this year, when the board votes for chair and vice chair, as part of our normal process. I made this difficult decision in the interest of helping the board rebuild public trust, and to contribute to the stabilization of our service to our students, families and educators. My family and I will be taking additional safety measures in light of this decision. My hope is that the menacing messages stop and that we can all get back to supporting our continued student growth without distraction. I ask that everyone – from the board to our community – refocus on our mission and that is to ensure that every student experiences Endless Possibilities through a high-quality education.”