Muscogee County School Board candidate accuses opponent of paying for cartoon

A Muscogee County School Board candidate has accused her opponent of paying a Columbus weekly newspaper for its endorsement and to publish a racially inflammatory editorial cartoon.

District 7 candidate Shelia Williams made the allegation during the debate the Columbus chapter of the National Associated for the Advancment of Colored People conducted Tuesday night in the Columbus Public Library’s auditorium. One of her campaign volunteers handed out a flyer detailing the accusation to the audience of about 40 folks.

Her opponent, former board chairwoman Cathy Williams, strongly denied the accusation and called it a lie.

“There was an editorial illustration of me in the paper, in the Courier, with me saying, ‘Yessa Massa,’” said Shelia Williams, executive director of B&O Services, which provides support and a group home for the intellectually disabled. “Yes. And there was a Caucasian gentleman holding the strings over my head. I am an educated, well-educated, black woman.”

Then she alleged that her opponent paid for that racial message.

“That’s why we have all the institutional racism in our schools,” Shelia Williams said. “And we will continue to have it until we speak out against people who are allowed to do what my opponent has done.”

The cartoon, published June 20, depicts the school board’s District 8 representative Frank Myers as a puppet master controlling Shelia Williams and two other black female candidates. Myers, who was elected two years ago, has been helping their campaigns.

Cathy Williams was the nine-member’s lone countywide representative for eight years until she didn’t seek re-election in 2014. Although she isn’t on the board now, she emphatically expresses support for the Superintendent David Lewis and his administration.

Cathy Williams is president and chief executive officer of NeighborWorks Columbus, which promotes and provides access to fit and affordable housing. She also is the wife of Ledger-Enquirer senior reporter Chuck Williams.

“I’m not sure where to start,” Cathy Williams said in her response to the accusation. “That was a complete misrepresentation. I mean, that was just a lie, OK? Let’s just put it on the table like it is. That’s just false, and I was taught when you speak falsehoods, you’re lying.

“So let me explain something. No. 1, I don’t work for the Courier. I have no editorial control over the Courier. I didn’t even know that was happening. When it came out, I thought it was terrible. I did. I thought it was way over the line. But I don’t have anything to do with the Courier. I didn’t pay them to do that. Where did you even come up with that?”

Shelia Williams asked, “Why did you pay them $1,122 for an ad?”

Cathy Williams answered, “I bought an ad in the Courier like I bought an ad in the Columbus Times. That doesn’t give me editorial right over anything that is written in either newspaper. I buy an ad in the Columbus Ledger. It doesn’t allow me to do anything with them either.”

Then she smiled and sparked laughter in the crowd when she added, “Except maybe marry one of their reporters.”

District 7 is one of the board’s two races that weren’t decided in the May 24 election. Also heading toward a July 26 runoff is the District 1 race, with three-term incumbent Pat Hugley Green facing retired educator and political newcomer JoAnn Thomas-Brown.

Green, an insurance agent and chief administrator for Hugley’s Facility Management Janitorial Service, is the board’s vice chairwoman and chairs the finance committee. Green was spared the potential for any direct attacks during the debate because Thomas-Brown didn’t attend.

Thomas-Brown is Shelia Williams’ boss as owner and chief executive officer of B&O services. She worked 36 years in the Muscogee County School District, including as principal of Baker Middle School.

Early voting started July 5 and continues through July 22 at the City Services Center.

Green received 46.62 percent of the district’s 2,651 votes in the May 24 election. Thomas-Brown earned a place in the runoff by finishing second in the three-way race with 29.95 percent. Al Stewart, another retired educator, came in third with 23.35 percent. There were two write-in votes.

District 7 representative Shannon Smallman didn’t seek re-election to a second four-year term. She instead is campaign manager for Cathy Williams, who received 46.04 percent of the district’s 1,173 votes in the May 24 election. Shelia Williams received 32.91 percent to qualify for the runoff. Former board member Norene Marvets, co-owner of John Paul’s Jewelers, received 21.06 percent.

This story was originally published July 12, 2016 at 9:22 PM with the headline "Muscogee County School Board candidate accuses opponent of paying for cartoon."