Harrisburg School Board Director: Board members bribed to sway key votes

Harrisburg, PA – Bribery and coercion where alleged at Monday nights school board meeting in Harrisburg. In response to allegations of board collusion in selecting Lola Lawson over more qualified and publicly preferred candidates, School Board Director Brian Carter admitted that shady deals were also made in the selection of Patricia Whitehead-Myers, and that “there were several conversations among board members trying to bribe other board members to vote for certain people.”

“Clearly this is the outcome of collusion,” said Charla Plaines, co-founder of the citizen-led school reform group C.A.T.C.H. (Concerned About the Children of Harrisburg.) “It does not reflect the will of the public. Once again, this board has proven it has no desire to do the right thing.”

There have also been suspicions regarding the sudden resignations of multiple board members. As two new members join, speculation arose that the board was going to make a motion to vote out President Judd Pittman for commenting on the suspension of a John Harris administrator for allegedly changing grades.

In attendance was Harrisburg parent Tim Rowbottom who offered his take on the meeting:

According to ABC27: Many parents are convinced that the other three candidates, including crowd favorite and former Sci-Tech teacher, Cornelius, Chachere, were interviewed for show, and Lawson was their pick the entire time.

“The person that gets picked is the person that is going to rubber-stamp everything that this board chooses to do to further destroy our school district,” said Kia Hansard, a HBGSD parent, and creator of C.A.T.C.H or Concerned About These Children of Harrisburg.

Their suspicions were echoed by school board member Brian Carter, who said shady deals were done in the selection of Patricia Whitehead-Myers, who was appointed last month.

“We have four candidates on this paper that came up here for a fair shot to have a seat on this board….previously there were several conversations among board members trying to bribe other board members to vote for certain people,” he said.

As two new members join, speculation arose that the board was going to make a motion to vote out President Judd Pittman for commenting on the suspension of a John Harris administrator for allegedly changing grades.