RALEIGH -- The Rev. William Barber, president of the state NAACP, and three other people who were arrested on accusations they disrupted a Wake County school board meeting have been barred from appearing on school property.
In a letter sent Monday, the four protesters were warned they'd face legal action from the school system if they showed up on school property without permission. The ban comes just before Barber had planned to show up at next week's school board meeting following a march in downtown Raleigh to protest the school board majority's elimination of the diversity policy.
Barber, contacted Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo., where he is attending the national NAACP convention, said he would not comment until he has seen the letter. He has previously said he would challenge any attempt to ban him from school property.
On June 15, Raleigh police filed second-degree trespassing charges against Barber; Tim Tyson, a Duke University historian; the Rev. Nancy Petty, senior pastor of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church; and Mary D. Williams, an activist and Wake schools parent. The four were arrested after refusing to give up the podium and then occupying the seats of members during a school board meeting that day.
Michael Evans, a Wake schools' spokesman, said the district hasn't yet received a response to the letters, which were sent by certified mail by Russ Smith, the district's senior director of security. Tyson and Petty said Wednesday that they hadn't yet received their copies.
"I don't know how they can trespass us when we haven't been convicted yet," Petty said.
The four protesters haven't yet had their court date on the trespassing charges. Petty said they plan to plead not guilty.
Three other people who were arrested on charges of disrupting a March 23 school board meeting were also barred from being on school property. Their cases also haven't been heard in court.
Petty said she still plans to attend the July 20 board meeting. Barber has said that he intends to bring a group of people to the meeting. Barber has said that "folks have to do what the Lord leads them to do" when considering whether to engage in more acts of nonviolent civil disobedience that could lead to arrests.
Some Wake County school board members have indicated they'd support barring Barber from school property.
"Somebody has to say to Rev. Barber there are consequences," said Chris Malone, a member of the board majority. "There are lines that you do not cross."
School board Chairman Ron Margiotta has said the board needs to be consistent when it comes to barring people who are arrested at school board meetings.
