Governor’s order is step toward ousting CCSD board trustee

CCSD Board Trustee Darlene Dunmeyer-Roberson took office in 2022. Her term is set to expire in 2028.

MORNING HEADLINES | S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday issued an executive order that gave notice to Charleston County School District (CCSD) Board Trustee Darlene Dunmeyer-Roberson that she could be heard by a special panel after a state-run investigation into alleged misconduct. It’s the first step toward her possible removal from office.

Dunemeyer-Roberson did not respond to requests for comment. No criminal charges have been issued.

The order follows McMaster’s Jan. 15 request for the state Inspector General (IG) to investigate Dunmeyer-Roberson’s conduct. The IG’s office submitted a report to the governor on Aug. 27 that identified “acts of malfeasance, misfeasance, conflicts of interest” and more between Nov. 7, 2022 and Aug. 27.

The 27-page report listed six major allegations:

Unlawful disclosure of confidential information;
Fraudulent billing of services;
Failure to report state taxable income;
Failure to participate in the superintendent’s evaluation;
Irrelevant or disruptive behavior in board meetings; and
Improper board quorums and individual consultation with legal counsel that incurred costs to the district.

Also in the report were allegations of fraudulent billing practices on the part of Dunmeyer-Roberson’s consulting company, Next Level Education Services, prior to her serving on the board of trustees.

Based on the report, McMaster’s executive order gave notice of three charges against her — disclosure of executive session material, unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and a conflict of interest.

Under the order, Dunmeyer-Roberson must notify the governor by Sept. 10 whether she intends to exercise her right to be heard by a special three-member panel made up of attorneys Thomas A. Limehouse, Jr.; Adair Boroughs; and Clarence Davis. The panel would consider her response and evidence before submitting a recommendation to McMaster by Oct. 5 on whether she should be removed from the CCSD Board of Trustees.

In addition to potential removal from office, the IG’s recommendations also suggested:

All board members receive training with a focus on fiduciary oversight and confidentiality policies;
The district clarify who is responsible for legal work and limit individual trustees from incurring legal expenses;
District procurement and financial staff receive remedial training;
A forensic audit of all invoices and payments in connection with the vendor Next Level Educational Services, LLC is conducted;
Pursuit of legal remedies to “recoup any improper charges,” and
Disqualification of “any vendor that may have willfully violated the procurement process.”

Read the full executive order here. —Skyler Baldwin

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