Parents proposed policy changes and asked about process; most board members won't respond

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Days after a packed school board meeting erupted in frustration over how sexual misconduct allegations were handled, most board members are staying silent.

I reached out to all five Shelby County School Board members Friday morning, asking for their perspective on Thursday night's meeting and what comes next for the district.

By Monday morning, only two responded. And neither agreed to an interview.

What I asked

My questions to each board member were straightforward:

  • Your perspective on the community's response and concerns
  • What the board can and cannot share at this stage of the investigation
  • The timeline moving forward
  • How the district plans to communicate with families and address community concerns

These aren't questions about the specifics of the investigation into basketball coach Chris Gaither. They're questions about process, transparency, and how elected officials plan to address a community in crisis.

‘He has been able to hide for so long’; Shelby Co. Schools suspends coach after sexual misconduct allegations
A former team manager told me her relationship with Chris Gaither began while she was a student at Martha Layne Collins High School. “He has been able to hide for so long under the assumption that he is a good Christian pillar of this community, and I think it was
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The responses

Board member Andrew Cline cited the ongoing investigation and statutory limitations.

Andrew Cline; CREDIT: Shelby County School District

"Sorry, this is an ongoing investigation and the Board, by statute, does not have jurisdiction over personnel matters and cannot comment on personnel matters," Cline wrote. "As an elected school board member I can not and will not give personal opinions that would risk breaking the law or the oath I took."