Here is an email exchange between former Superintendent Mark Taylor and School Board Chair Lorita Daniels regarding the Riverbend High School Swim Team Scandal. This provides insight on the coverup by the school division. Dr Martin willfully provided this email in a FOIA request.
School Board Chair Lorita Daniels asks the questions. Mark Taylor provides the answers. Let’s take you thru the Mark Taylor responses and our comments.
TAYLOR: In the past week I have engaged personally with local media as never before and I did make some progress in terms of slowing down some unhelpful elements of this story.
SW: Are you making an attempt to cover-up the truth? The Spotsy Wire published actual emails provided by actual sources to show the public what is occurring without spin. Other media outlets refused to provide the actual emails and choose to paraphrase what was in them. There is no amount of spin that will change the facts of this situation.
TAYLOR: Simply put, the principal failed to meet deadlines provided to demonstrate his eligibility for a teaching license in Virginia. I am preparing to recommend action to the board based on the Principal’s lack of an appropriate Virginia license.”
SW: Yes, but did you not know this information when you hired him? Virginia is one of the few states that requires a principal to hold a teacher’s license. He was in the process which was out of his control and that process was almost complete. If you hired him with this knowledge, you have to give him the time for the process to complete. Otherwise, you deliberately set him up for failure.
TAYLOR: We have identified the need to specifically address expectations for coaches in regards to communication as they do not have the same experience, training, or perspective as our full-time employees.
SW: This is not rocket science. You should already be aware that all coaches in all sports must have training with regards to appropriate contact with children. This came out of the whole Nasser scandal. Congress passed a law creating Safesport. VHSL promotes this training on their website. ADs promote this training. It does not take much effort to research this.
TAYLOR: Amy Williams first suggested a third party investigation due to the complexity of the concerns, the volume of information to be reviewed, and the public’s perception. Many people have weighed in on this issue and media and social media have contributed to the complexity of the investigation and, perhaps, the need for an independent third party investigator. Significantly, it seems that many of those who have shared their opinions were not present to witness anything.
SW: There is a video. It does not take rocket science to view a video and come up with a conclusion in 5 seconds. We at the Spotsy Wire provided actual emails that showed actual conversations happening in the Riverbend High School Swim Team Scandal. Why? It makes it impossible to put a spin on this issue.
TAYLOR: Thwarting free speech and media coverage is high risk, both legally and politically. Efforts to discourage media attention can easily backfire, by giving the impression that the truth is being hidden.
SW: No kidding. The fact that Daniels had the audacity to ask the question shows that she is pro-censorship, anti-first amendment and part of the coverup.
TAYLOR: Given the disagreement among witnesses, an independent investigation may be needed or helpful to come to a stronger conclusion about what actually occurred.
SW: There are no disagreements because video does not lie. One would have to be an idiot to not come to the conclusion in 5 seconds that showed Downs being assaulted on video.
