Resign, now: School board member's actions nothing short of disgraceful

Enough.

There is no better word to describe what the reaction should be to the disgraceful display put forth by Dwight Cannon at Tuesday night's Wayne County Board of Education meeting.

Cannon attacked nearly everyone in attendance that day -- and was downright disrespectful to not only his fellow board members, but also to Superintendent Michael Dunsmore and members of his staff.

It was completely uncalled for -- and a sign that it is time for Cannon to leave the board, sooner rather than later.

Bothered by what he perceived as some procedural violations, Cannon verbally attacked -- and yes, there is no other word -- those in attendance.

Rather than expressing his concerns, which had some merit, in a respectful and mature way, he exploded into tirade after tirade, treating the professionals in the room with contempt and disregard.

They don't deserve it, and the students of Wayne County deserve better.

It is time for Cannon to go. Waiting another year for his term to be up is simply not an option anymore.

It is about doing what is right -- and is long overdue.

Making Cannon's behavior all the more appalling was the fact that there were children in the room that evening.

They were there, along with their teachers, to be honored for the district's anti-bullying campaign.

How wonderful it must have been for them to see someone behave so horribly -- and in exactly the manner that they are trying to encourage their fellow classmates to avoid.

It was a disgusting display and one that should not be tolerated.

The questions about Cannon have been looming for a while -- about his residency, his absence from meetings, his behavior in those meetings.

He has refused to resign -- defiantly so.

But the time has come for some leadership and courage.

Serving on the county school board is not just a responsibility, it is a job.

Board members are paid $975 a month (the chairman earns a little more).

It might not cover the costs of those who do the job properly, but it comes with a certain expectation.

And when an employee behaves in the manner that Cannon behaved Tuesday, there should be a consequence.

Just as there would be, by the way, for any student or teacher who behaved in such a manner.

The attempts to guide him gently have failed. And the restraint that fellow board members have shown in dealing with him has been admirable.

But it is past time to do something about him.

We will wait to see if someone steps up to the plate and puts someone in the job who is not only a representative, but a role model.

Our students deserve that.

Published in Editorials on October 8, 2015 1:13 PM