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The Buncombe County Board of Education halted public comment at its June 3 meeting after a group of protesters looking to object to the district’s mask mandate swarmed the building demanding entry.
About 40 people gathered outside of the building at 175 Bingham Road to protest the mask requirement and voice approval of recently passed House Bill 324, which bans North Carolina public schools from teaching Critical Race Theory, an academic concept that asserts racism is engrained in the legal system.
After two people gave their allotted 3-minute public comment, Board Chair Ann Franklin called a recess due to yelling outside the building. Fifteen minutes later, the meeting was called back into order, and BCS attorney John Henning advised the board to stop public comment.