LAURENS, S.C. (WSPA) — Superintendent Dr. Ameca Thomas will remain in office following rumors she could be voted out.
During executive session Monday, the Laurens School District 55’s Board of Trustees met to discuss Thomas’ contract. Several hours later, Chairperson Cathy Little returned to announce “no action would be taken” on Thomas’ contract, which is set to expire in June 2026.
The announcement came after a heated school board meeting in which the crowd, as well as at least two board members, spoke out in support of Thomas.
Little threatened to have members of the public removed for disrupting the meeting.
Earlier Monday morning, several community activists held a news conference in front of the district office. They claimed Little wanted to vote Thomas out to replace her with a friend.
“Just this past June, the same board — with the exception of one person who was recently elected — gave this superintendent the highest of favorability in their review of her job’s performance,” said Dr. U. A. Thompson, a community faith leader. “They gave her a three percent raise. They also extended her contract by one year.”
Thompson and Traci Fant, the organizer of Freedom Fighters Upstate SC, said they spoke with Thomas over the weekend after she received a call from the district’s attorney who informed her of Monday’s meeting.
“She was shocked, disappointed and upset, as she should be,” said Fant. “She felt as she was being treated unfairly.”
The activists alleged Little wanted Thomas out because the two had reportedly clashed. They also claimed a vote to terminate Thomas would be racially motivated.
“It is a matter of racial discrimination and racial bias at its highest,” said Thompson.
“We will be calling on the South Carolina Ethics Commission, the state attorney general and SLED to do due diligence and investigate the board’s actions here in Laurens County because there is a chain of emails that will prove a long list of bullying, a long list of things that we believe violates Dr. Thomas’ civil rights,” he added.
Thomas declined to provide a statement to 7NEWS ahead of Monday’s meeting.
7NEWS also reached out to each board member for comment.
One board member said she could “not respond to this issue.” The other board members, including Little, did not respond.
