Ban of five public speakers on Memphis-Shelby County School property faces criticism

Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is facing pushback for banning five public commenters from all district property.The district made the decision to ban former teacher’s union president Tikelia Rucker, former school board candidate Rachel Spriggs, and local activists Amber Sherman, LJ Abraham, and Damon Morris following disruptions at the special meeting held May 9 when the board announced that the superintendent search will be put on hold.Tuesday night school board members heard from multiple members of the Memphis community who aren’t happy with that decision, including Spriggs’ husband, Vincent Spriggs, II.“My wife did not curse anybody out or do anything illegal or detrimental to the kids in this school district. However, she did speak the truth and she did hold you guys accountable. I’m certain that behind closed doors, you all on the school board disagree sometimes and you also hold each other accountable. So it’s kinda hypocritical to me for my wife to be banned when you guys don’t ban one another,” said Spriggs.Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH) representative Zanya Cruz also spoke up.Cruz was among several speakers who asked for the bans to be lifted as she says the five individuals didn’t make any threats or perform any violent actions.“I’m saddened that we will not be able to hear all of the voices that wish to be heard today,” said Cruz. “The role of advocates is to support efforts that improve our communities and hold elected officials accountable.”The ban even attracted opposition from some students including Crystal Seja from Kingsbury High School.Seja told the board that her school’s facilities are inadequate, and she says it’s not right to ban people for speaking out about it.“Board chair, as a student I have shared my feedback with you about the conditions of Kingsbury several times, however nothing has been done. I’m here today because several members of the community have come forward to speak about the conditions we are facing as students, yet those community members are now banned,” said Seja.MSCS Chief of Safety Carolyn Jackson provided a justification for the bans earlier in the day in a letter. Jackson says it’s a needed safety measure that’s enforceable by the Memphis Police Department.“The MSCS Office of Safety and Security has shared rising concerns about safety at school board meetings due to disruptive and unsafe behavior, including the deployment of two panic alarms at the May 9, 2023 Special Called Meeting. These alarms sound up to 140 decibels and are described by one advertiser of a similar product as a 50-minute "continuous ear-piercing" sound. This action and other disruptive behavior recently led to the issuance of AoAs (Authorizations of Agency) against five people, effectively banning them from Memphis-Shelby County Schools property,” wrote the Chief of Safety in the letter.Multiple school board members expressed a desire to meet with the banned advocates in hopes of reaching an agreement to lift the bans and that they intend to make a policy on banning public commenters.The five bans are the latest twist in the district’s turbulent search for a new superintendent.Throughout the process some Memphis community members have criticized the transparency of the search. That complaint came up again Tuesday with some speakers saying the bans are another example of a lack of transparency.“Will the chair ban everyone who disagrees with her authoritarian leadership? Will the chair violate everyone’s first amendment rights for civically engaging and advocating for accountability? Will the chair ban me? It is evident that other school board members feel the exact same way. The chair has not been inclusive in the decision-making process and some members also disagree with the bans,” said Maria Seja.