Public comment is very important to any government meeting, and all citizens certainly have the right to make their opinions known to the leaders that represent them. However, those who are alleging discriminatory and illegal hiring practices at the Decatur County Schools have overstepped their bounds. They are no longer just voicing an opinion, but they are becoming a detriment to the smooth workings of school system.

While the public has a right to see open records, it is also a waste of time for school board staff to spend hours looking up documents and files on behalf of citizens that seem to have personal vendettas. Rather than looking up these documents, those staff members could have spent time working on the ultimate goal of any school system, which is improving the lives of its students.

These citizens have had two separate instances to bring their greivances to public light, and they have yet to come up with any conclusive proof that these allegations are true. In addition, the U.S. public education system is one of the most highly regulated in the nation, with the Department of Education and Department of Justice both auditing the system’s hiring. If they haven’t found anything wrong, then it’s not likely there’s any fire to this smoke.

This time-wasting charade has gone on long enough.