Apr 25, 2003 By April Straughters 3 min read

BROWNSVILLE – Emotions ran high at the Brownsville Area School Board meeting Thursday as directors Rocky Brashear and Stella Broadwater got into a shouting match before an executive session. When Brashear, president of the board, motioned to go into executive session to discuss personnel matters, Broadwater voted against the motion.

The board was expected to discuss the matter dealing with the decision to deduct $435 from the high school golf coach’s salary to reimburse the district for shirts he ordered for the golf team without board approval.

The matter was discussed at the board’s planning session Tuesday. Broadwater said Tuesday that she did not believe the board should expect the golf coach to purchase those shirts with his own money. She said the shirts needed to be replaced and that the it was not his responsibility to pay for them.

Brashear said that the board cannot allow employees to purchase items without board approval. He said the coach did not use a purchase requisition or follow the district’s policy in purchasing the items and is therefore responsible for the money. Brashear also said the coach was told the proper procedure for ordering the shirts.

Nena Kaminsky, former board member and a regular at school board meetings, challenged the board’s decision to discuss the matter in executive session.

But Brashear said the issue fell under personnel matters because it involved a district employee. He said the board also had other personnel matters to discuss.

As the board voted on whether to go into executive session, directors Dr. Melvin Sally and John Evans also voted no to holding the closed meeting.

Sally said he did not believe there were any matters that needed to be discussed in executive session.

After the majority of the board agreed to the executive session, Broadwater said that she would not tolerate anyone on the board “chopping” anyone’s character during the session.

She said she would tell what was said if that happened.

Brashear said that Broadwater’s threat was nothing new. He said she does that every month.

“People know what is said in executive session before I even get to my car,” he said, adding that Broadwater repeated something he said in executive session after the district’s planning session Tuesday.

He also told Broadwater she would have to answer to his attorney.

Broadwater said that she does not repeat anything negative that is said in executive sessions.

The discussion escalated and turned into a shouting match with both Brashear and Broadwater on their feet, faces red, pointing at one another as they exchanged harsh words and accusations.

Brashear instructed the HSTV camera operator to stop taping. District administrators rushed the public out of the building, while the district’s police Chief John Carney hurried to calm the two.

Following the meeting, both Brashear and Broadwater agreed that the whole thing was a “misunderstanding.”

“It was a misunderstanding. It was very brief. I gave her a hug (afterward). (Broadwater) and I, we understand each other. We’ve been on the board together for eight years and we’ve gotten along,” Brashear said.

Broadwater agreed. She said the matter was resolved.

Brashear, who said he is also under a lot of pressure, dealing with an illness in the family, said that outbursts like that happen from time to time at board meetings.

“It happens. It happens a lot in all board meetings,” he said.

It was not made clear whether the board ended up discussing the issue involving the golf shirts.