[ April 29, 2021 ] Upon evaluating the information recently disseminated by the Pickens County School Board and Impact Pickens pertaining to the conduct of our elected officials, the Pickens County Republican Party Executive Committee is exceedingly discouraged and disheartened by the deportment of specific members of our current Board of Education who we qualified to run on the Republican ticket this past and in previous election cycles. The Pickens County Republican Party strives to support and champion conservative candidates who we feel unambiguously represent the values and ethics of our party.

Subsequent to assessing the details of the School Board issue, we do not believe that the candidates who have claimed to represent these ethics have done so effectively. We believe that our educators, particularly those responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of our school system, have a responsibility to serve as role models for both the students, as well as for the employees whom they represent. The immature banter exhibited via cellular correspondence by respective leaders of our school system displays a severe lack of the same maturity we expect from the children we entrust to their guidance.

In light of recent incidents, particularly the dismissal of Dr. Rick Townsend
"without cause" (BOE Press Release/Feb 23, 2021), the Pickens County Republican Party would like to clearly articulate our discontent with the majority of the current School Board. We would like to thank Mr. Thomas Gartrell and Mr. Tucker Green for continuing to advocate for the principles we expect our leaders to uphold.

RELATED
Impact Pickens Town Hall Meeting on April 24th revealing the text messages mentioned above.