Coweta school board won't discipline member for attending Trump rally
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - The Coweta County School Board will not discipline a board member for her attendance at a Trump rally that happened prior to the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Linda Menk, a member of the school board, attended the Trump rally on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C.
A group of county residents has since called for Menk's removal, while the Coweta County Republican Party has come to Menk's defense.
At Tuesday's school board meeting, Coweta County Schools Superintendent Evan Horton said that he reached out to an outside attorney to see if Menk could possibly be removed.
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Reading a statement from the attorney, Horton said that there was "no procedure or provision in Georgia law which would allow a board of education to remove an individual elected by the voters."
Horton said state law allows for recall or court action, but the board could not use public funds to support either option under these circumstances.
"Certainly participation by an individual board member in a political rally would not be grounds for action, even if it were determined that in the course of such a rally, some law was broken, a situation that could be considered inconsistent with the board members oath, code of ethics or responsibility to constituents, the Board of Education, as the body lacks the legal authority to intervene to remove the board member," Horton said.
The school board's attorney said that the board could censure Menk, but there would be no consequences and mostly just be a public statement on her actions.
At a previous meeting, Menk called comments demanding her to step down "baseless," saying she attended a peaceful rally.
"I did have a discussion before I attended the rally, a peaceful rally I might add, to determine am I doing anything i shouldn't be doing because i hold public office," Menk explained.
Menk told the board she does not apologize for attending the rally and went there to protect our rights.
"I don’t apologize for it. I participated in a very peaceful rally in support of your protection, the protection of your right to vote and have your voice count," she explained.
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