‘Stop acting like kids:’ Critic throws farm food at Beaufort County School Board

In Earl Campbell’s more than 25 years on the Beaufort County School Board, he said he has never seen anything like Tuesday night, when a parent and community member threw four bags of chicken feed on the stage in front of where board members were seated.

“Chicken. Too afraid,” David Cook said after walking up to the lectern carrying a black backpack, contents unknown until he reached in and flung the still-sealed bags. “Matter of fact, your behavior gives chicken a bad name.”

During the public comment section of the meeting, Cook said wanted to display his “opinion of (the board and the superintendent’s) lack of action” as the district gradually returns the majority of the 97 books taken off shelves for review in October to libraries. Out of the 60 books reviewed so far, the district banned three. The process has garnered national media attention including from CBS News’ 60 Minutes.

“We can disagree, but we don’t have to be nasty and stupid. Period,” Campbell said. “That is the attitude going on in this country today. We need to act like grown-ups and stop acting like kids.”

Cook is one of the few outspoken critics of the book review process, frequently speaking at the board’s public comment to say that the school library contains what he believes are inappropriate and pornographic books. Community members who oppose book banning commonly say that those who are against diverse books in schools show intolerance towards others.

“It’s concerning to me that some people want to steal these stories away from the people who need them most,” Rev. Lori Hlaban said, speaking on behalf of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort at a board meeting June 13. “The young people who are looking for a way to know they can thrive as a gay person, looking for a way to know that they can thrive as a trans person, a BIPOC queer person, a person with family violence in their background.”

Cook’s actions come as the board discussed potentially limiting public comment earlier this month. It also follows increased concerns over school security in the United States. Nationally, there have been 23 school shootings this year that resulted in injuries or deaths, according to an Education Week analysis.

“I take it as a threat,” board member Chloe Gordon said. “We didn’t know what was in the bags.”

The school board hasn’t planned any changes to public comment yet but will be looking into them in the coming weeks, according to Gordon. District spokesperson Candace Bruder said the district is in the process of reviewing safety protocols for school board meetings and will work with law enforcement accordingly.

Cook declined to answer questions about the incident on the record other than a written statement.

“I’m a father trying to protect the children of our community from indoctrination,” he wrote in a text. “The children are the victims here. Not the board.”