(This story was updated to replace a photo.)
The Corpus Christi ISD school board offered sincere regrets after a citizen complained he was unfairly interrupted while speaking about religion in schools during a September school board meeting.
The incident underscores questions on the rights of the public to speak during government meetings.
When the Corpus Christi Independent School District Board of Trustees meets to govern the school district, members of the public are given the opportunity to address the board.
Samuel Fryer, a Corpus Christi resident who unsuccessfully ran for school board in 2024, took that opportunity on Sept. 8. He spoke about several new state laws, including one requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
After being interrupted during his remarks, Fryer filed a complaint with the school district. On Oct. 30, the school board held a hearing on the matter.
Fryer’s interrupted remarks occurred only days after a Sept. 2 Corpus Christi City Council meeting when several members of the public were arrested during public comment.
Corpus Christi ISD is a separate government entity from the city of Corpus Christi. In comparison to the city’s lengthy and at times confrontational audience participation, public comments during school board meetings are typically less eventful.
However, there have been several times in recent years when meetings have become more contentious.
During a Jan. 13 meeting, a speaker was asked to leave without finishing his comments because the board did not consider his concerns about how the district awards contracts to be related closely enough to the agenda item he had signed up to speak on, which was an approval of a bid to purchase copy paper.
At the Sept. 8 meeting, Fryer hadn’t signed up to address any specific agenda item. Instead, he was speaking during the portion of the meeting designated for non-agenda items.
Key moments from Fryer’s comments
Fryer began his time by explaining he intended to speak about Senate Bill 12 regarding parental rights in education, Senate Bill 11 regarding prayer and Senate Bill 10 regarding the posting of the Ten Commandments in schools.
Senate Bill 10 went into effect on Sept. 1, requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every Texas public school classroom. However, the law has been challenged in court, with implementation blocked in some school districts where parents have filed lawsuits.
At school board meetings, audience speakers are given three minutes to talk. About a minute into his remarks, Fryer had introduced himself and his chosen topics and recited the famous second line of the Declaration of Independence that states that all are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”
Here, as Fryer reached “deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” board President Eric Villarreal cut in.
“Mr. Fryer, please keep it to CCISD business,” Villarreal said.
“This is CCISD business,” Fryer replied.
Villarreal said that this was Fryer’s first warning.
Fryer continued on to expressed his belief in the importance of the Ten Commandments and parental control of education.
“Our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles —” Fryer said when Villarreal again interrupted.
“Please keep it to CCISD business,” Villarreal said.
“As a result, the Ten Commandments being posted in schools actually brings home that foundational principle,” Fryer continued.
Fryer finished expressing his support for the inclusion of the Ten Commandments in school and reiterated his stance that this topic was school business just before his three minutes elapsed.
He wasn’t the only audience member to speak that day.
One commenter offered his thoughts on student behavior.
Nancy Vera, the president of the Corpus Christi American Federation of Teachers, honored the legacy of the late educator Ricardo Godoy.
Another two public commenters also spoke on the topic of the Ten Commandments. Again, Villarreal asked one of these commenters to keep his remarks to CCISD business.
Only the commenters discussing the Ten Commandments were interrupted.
What happened during the grievance hearing?
The school board met on Oct. 30 to discuss Fryer’s grievance regarding his treatment during the September meeting.
Fryer was given 15 minutes to speak on the issue with the board in closed session, which was not open to the public to view. Fryer told the Caller-Times that he was requesting a public apology from the board.
More than a dozen people who attended to support Fryer waited in the Corpus Christi ISD administrative building lobby while the board deliberated in private.
The five members in attendance voted unanimously to deny Fryer’s requested remedy. Villarreal was not present.
Board member Don Clark offered a statement on behalf of the board.
“The board sincerely regrets that your (Fryer’s) comments on Sept. 8 were interrupted and invites Mr. Fryer to issue his comments uninterrupted at a future board meeting,” Clark said.
Fryer said he did not agree with the board’s decision.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Citizen complains Corpus Christi ISD interrupted public comment