During the public comment portion of the Jefferson High School trustees meeting Mar. 19, JHS 10th grader Ryian Eveland rose to the podium in front of a crowd of about 50 attendees, and began reading from a statement.
She was about to describe her experience on the JHS girls basketball team under former coach Aubrey McMaster this past season. Later in the meeting, the board would consider McMaster’s letter of resignation, submitted after McMaster learned of some players’ parents’ apparent dissatisfaction with her coaching style.
Before Eveland completed her first sentence, however, her comment was interrupted by Board Chair Cami Robson, who said she must stop because she was discussing a personnel issue, and privacy rights limited what could or could not be said. School Superintendent Erik Wilkerson defended Robson’s position, stating Eveland could continue only if she modified the statement to exclude any references to names or positions that could identify a person.
