GOP pick Michael Logan sworn in to Guilford County school board after months-long dispute

Guilford County School Board Member Bill Goebel resigned on Tuesday, following a months-long dispute over his appointment. 

Former GCS teacher Michael Logan, who had previously been rejected for the position, took his place. 

Logan was nominated by the county GOP to fill the vacant District 3 Guilford County Board of Education seat back in December. 

But the board voted multiple times to reject him, with some members citing concerns about racial prejudice and bigotry. Instead, they swore in Republican Bill Goebel in April.

But state legislators stepped in passing two laws aimed at forcing Logan’s appointment, and removing Goebel. 

Last week, the board voted to hire legal counsel on the issue, and Goebel’s own lawyers claimed the most recent statute to be unconstitutional. 

But at a school board meeting on Tuesday, Chairperson Deena Hayes announced that Goebel resigned, and read his statement aloud. 

“I am certain that the legislature has overstepped its legal authority in shortening my term in office and I am able and willing to litigate the matter," Hayes read. "However, it is apparent to me that choosing further litigation over the seat would further distract the board, the staff, and the public from the important job of educating our children.”

Immediately after Hayes read Goebel’s statement, Logan was sworn in — a move that multiple attendees, like Nicole Quick, criticized during public comment. 

“Instead of fully funding our public schools, the majority in our state legislature have devoted their time to interfering in the function of our county school board, in order to seat an extremist board member who would focus on manufactured culture wars rather than the needs of our schools and students," Quick said. 

Logan made final comments about taking the seat at the end of the meeting. 

“If we're going to be better together, we need to work together," Logan said. "I’d always looked forward to being able to work with the school board. Now I look forward to the school board being able to work with me.”

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.