Anti-Purcell Board Members Threatened

I thought we might have a respite from the growing racial tension in Montgomery over the firing of Dr. Purcell since the mediation talks are on hold until August 24. But no luck. The latest Montgomery Advertiser reports that the two African-American board of education members supporting the termination of Dr. Purcell’s contract have received packages in the mail with threatening messages. The husband of one member had his car window smashed in front of their home. Okay, people. We need a resolution to the issue quicker than the August 31 deadline the judge set for mediation before the bubbling emotions in this town get even more out of hand. There’s a scheduled board of education meeting on Tuesday and a public forum is normally held before the meeting where community members are allowed to speak. I think in this case, it might be wise to reschedule this meeting and let hotheads cool down a bit. But if the meeting is still a go, I plan to be there.