Friday, July 19, 2019
The revolving door of Charlotte-Mecklenbrg Schools superintendents appeared ready for another turn with the sudden suspension of Clayton Wilcox. President Trump, on the heels of his racist tweet, appeared in front of a North Carolina crowd that chanted "send her back," which the president later tried to disavow.
Clayton Wilcox's fate as superintendent could be decided Friday in a closed-door school board meeting. The board gave no reason for its decision to suspend Wilcox with pay. If Wilcox is shown the door, what would the leadership turmoil mean for the district?
“Now is the time for them to show in difficult times what CMS is really all about.” @CMSboard & new acting @CMSsupt Earnest Winston meet the public after Wilcox suspension. https://t.co/WAbknZkCgW
— Ann Doss Helms (@anndosshelms) July 16, 2019
Charlotte Congresswoman Alma Adams called the president "unfit to serve" after his tweet telling women of color members of Congress to "go back" where they came from. The president continued sparring with the lawmakers at a rally in North Carolina. After referencing one of the congresswomen, Somali-born Michigan Democrat Ilhan Omar, the crowd chanted "send her back."
FACT CHECK: During the chanting of "send her back," President Trump stopped speaking for 13 seconds, only returning to the microphone once the chant had started to die out. In that time the crowd chanted the phrase 8 times. https://t.co/iCaxQN3nMh
— Tamara Keith (@tamarakeithNPR) July 18, 2019
Those two stories consumed much of the news oxygen this week, while a trial opened in Raleigh on whether the Republican drawing of General Assembly districts violated the state constitution. It's the first partisan gerrymandering case to see action after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it was outside the jurisidction of federal courts.
GUESTS
David Boraks, reporter, WFAE (@davidboraks)
Danielle Chemtob, development reporter, The Charlotte Observer (@daniellechemtob)
Mary C. Curtis, columnist, Roll Call (@mcurtisnc3)
Erik Spanberg, managing editor, Charlotte Business Journal (@CBJspanberg)