Loudoun School Board votes against showing public commenters' faces in meeting video streams

The Loudoun County School Board recently voted against showing the faces of public commenters on live video streams of board meetings.

The board used to show the people who spoke during public comment but decided to stop in 2021 following a meeting that devolved into shouting and arrests. It was the culmination of years of controversy in which parents on each side of seemingly every debate would routinely download video of their speeches and share them on social media.

Some board members want to show commenters again.

"Turning them back on, we can start to restore some of that trust and build back transparency," School Board Member Lauren Shernoff said.

One school board member said she doesn't want school board meetings to look like “The Jerry Springer Show.”

"I'm not interested in this being a political grandstanding, which has been happening a lot lately,” School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield said.

The school board voted 6-3 in favor of not showing public commenters’ faces but allowing their audio and closed captioning.

Parent and former School Board Member Tiffany Polifko said the public has a right to be seen when addressing the board.

“Dehumanizing and disrespecting the people who put you in your seats whether you agree with them or you disagree with them," she said.

Former President Donald Trump addressed Loudoun County parents on his social media platform. While sharing an article from the Washington Examiner, Trump wrote, “If the wonderful parents of students in the Loudoun County School System would want to gather along the great Potomac River, at Trump National Golf Club, under the beautifully flying American Flag, for a gathering, or a meeting, there can be no more magnificent or significant place to do so, AS MY GUEST! Just let my Club Manager, Trent, know when. Have fun. SAVE THE STUDENTS!!!”

Trump did not publicly comment on the issue of public comment.

The Loudoun County School Board asked a committee to review public comment policies, and that committee has said it has no intention to change any other aspect of public comment, though there's been a lot of discussion about whether to further limit time or topic to speed things along.

"When public comment lasts for hours and decisions are made at midnight, the work of the School Board is not accessible to citizens," School Board Member April Chandler said.

Loudoun County Public Schools has pressing concerns, including budget shortfalls, issues with school start times because the district doesn't have enough bus drivers, and teacher and staffing shortages.