A woman who says she’s fighting for the rights of all children in the Lincoln County School District told the board Monday night that the chain of command in the district has broken links.

Melissa Posey, who threatened board members in a February meeting, calmly spoke before the same board members Monday night at a meeting held at West Lincoln Attendance Center. She was on the agenda to speak and given 10 minutes.

She started by telling the board that she was a war veteran with training in the Court Appointed Special Advocates program and also has assisted teachers with behavior modification therapy for students.

“I don’t want anybody to think I’m just somebody off the street. I know what I’m talking about,” she said.

She apologized for her disruptive actions at the February meeting.

“That was the only way I could get people to listen to me, so I did what I had to do,” she said. “And I’m willing to do whatever it is to go forward with this. Now, am I going to try to keep it nice and professional? Yes indeed. But when you get unprofessional with me, I’m going to push you back because it’s about those children that are being left behind.

“I’m passionate about it and if anybody don’t like it, I’m sorry. That’s the way I feel, and I am their advocate.”

Posey said she’s learned that the school district operates using a procedure similar to a military chain of command. She said the problems affecting special needs students are not adequately getting communicated from the school administrators to Assistant Superintendent Letha Presley, who is over special education programs.

She met with Presley and Superintendent Mickey Myers earlier Monday.

Posey said she’s not defending Presley 100 percent. “But I’m telling you, what I have learned from her is she does not know all that is going on, and a lot of times she gets thrown completely under the bus by those under her that have not told her what she needs to know to do something about the problem,” she  said. “I’m not about throwing anybody under the bus unless they deserve to get under the bus. I’m trying to work with Letha because I do believe that she has the best interest of the children at heart.”

Posey said the board, district, administrators and parents need to help each other. “We can change the course that this is on with the special needs children,” she said.

She told the board about a student in the district. “He is 16 years old and spent three years in the seventh grade and nobody did an evaluation on him. There’s something bad wrong with that people. We have funds for that,” she said.

She said someone at the school should have brought that to Presley’s attention. “So when that happens and it’s not done, whatever the reason is, that’s what we’ve got to fix,” she said. “That’s what’s broken in this system.”

She said the young man met with Presley last week. “He looked her dead in the eye and he said ‘Ma’am, all I’ve ever wanted is an education.’ A diploma is what he said. When he said it he stuttered.”

Posey asked him if he’d been tested for the speech disorder.

“He never got anybody to listen to him to get him anything to help him stop stuttering. That’s another main issue that I have and that we have as parents,” she said.

She brought 9-year-old Carter Smith and his mother, Angela Smith, to the microphone to speak during her remaining time before the board. She started to say that Carter, who uses a walker, did not have adequate access to the playground.

“Why don’t you tell them? It’s out of your mouth. Do you mind?” Posey asked Angela Smith.

Posey asked the board. “Is that OK? I don’t want to try to tell her story.”

Board attorney Jim Keith, a Ridgeland attorney who has attended the past two meetings, said that only Posey was approved to be on the agenda.

“It would be better coming out of her mouth. It’s not going to harm anybody,” Posey countered.

Keith didn’t budge. “OK, my goodness, OK,” she said.

Posey said Carter’s parents were told by school officials that their son could do more. “When did he become qualified to make that assessment?” she asked.

She said Carter has an individual education plan that has accommodations for an assistant.

“He had a great assistant that knew his needs and helped him every day,” she said.

Posey said that assistant was replaced with one “that was not at all familiar with Carter’s situation.”

She continued. “There’s a problem. You can see it for yourself. The things that we want to do is educate the parents. Let them understand what their rights are. Maybe some of y’all need to know what their rights are, I don’t know. Help him get to the playground if he wants to,” she said.

“I’m almost done. How many minutes have I got? I know y’all are checking them,” she asked.

Board president Kay Coon responded. “Thirty seconds,” she said.

Posey started flipping through her papers. “I want to know how in the world an anonymous letter can stop someone’s career dead in their tracks?” she asked the board.

Keith cut her off because that was not listed as a topic that Posey would discuss in her request to be placed on the agenda.

A Lincoln County deputy was in attendance but did not stop her from speaking.

“We have anonymous letters that are going out that you just look at and someone’s career is shot, so that’s a concern for me and our school district,” she said.

“Because we do have caring people that love these kids and want to try to do a good job. So I’m voicing my concern for the people I speak for and I have a right to do that, sir. So I’m asking you to please look into that in the future and let’s stop these letters from happening.”

Posey thanked the board. “I promise you that I’m after the same thing you are, unless you need to be thrown under the bus,” she said. “I will throw you under the bus.”

The board did not take any action or comment after Posey’s presentation.

The board will meet next April 3 at 5 p.m. at Enterprise Attendance Center.