Disgruntled elected official questions procedures, moves for change
Debra "Hank" Dinschel
Robbinsville – Just over two hours into Tuesday’s Graham County Board of Education meeting, board member Debra “Hank” Dinschel stated, “I want to elect a new chairman.”Dinschel was almost 30 minutes into a speech on board procedures when she proposed her idea to remove Rodney Nelson from his post. A member of the Graham County Board of Education since 2008, Nelson is a retired school teacher and a Desert Storm Veteran.
Since beginning her service on the board, Dinschel has rocked the boat on more than one occasion. She questioned the district’s school-based health clinic (which is currently not in operation); brought forth her displeasure over a question for middle school students to answer on a survey regarding how they identify; and most recently, has taken her peers to task on what she believes are improper board procedures during each meeting.
Dinschel first tried to air her grievance at January’s meeting, but was cutoff by Nelson in an effort to move the meeting into closed session. Dinschel’s concern originally laid with topics such as open-session topics being discussed in closed, after she brushed up on Robert’s Rules of Order, a widely-accepted manual penned by U.S. Army officer Henry Martyn Robert on how governing boards should conduct meetings, in a method known as “parliamentary procedure.”
Her request Tuesday for a new chair to be appointed was met with silence from the board, as Dinschel added she would not put the idea into the form of a motion until the March 5 meeting – when board member Jonathan Allison is expected back after a vacation.
“When I see these, I see my obligation,” Dinschel said of the board’s policies. “I’m married to these when I became a board member and took my oath. So when they’re broken, I take that serious.”
Shortly thereafter, Dinschel accused Nelson of “lying” to her during her first meeting as a board member. Nelson was surprised and said if he lied to Dinschel, he “didn’t mean to.”
“If I told you a lie, I apologize,” Nelson stated.
Dinschel clarified by saying that Nelson had told her “three times” she would be on the agenda for the Jan. 3, 2023 meeting. Nelson again apologized, before Dinschel said that when she questioned her absence from the January 2023 agenda, Nelson “made fun of her” and implied that she was ignored while broaching the topic.
“It’s not that you’re mean, Mr. Nelson: you’re just not worried about these ethics,” Dinschel later said.
Following her proposal to elect a new chair, at least six dozen individuals sitting in the meeting quickly voiced their support for Nelson.
The meeting moved to board policies shortly thereafter.
The full video of the meeting can be viewed for free at grahamstar.com.
Officially champs
For many, it was affirmation of a long-standing belief: the 1965 Robbinsville Black Knights should be recognized as state champions.
The debate has went on for centuries.
For reasons still fully unclear, the N.C. High School Athletic Association did not hold state-title games for football from 1961-71.
Some classifications were ushered back into traditional championship games before the 1971 moratorium ended, which is where Robbinsville’s recognized 1969 and 1970 titles originated.
Graham County Athletic Director Tonia Walsh presented a lengthy pitch to the board about righting the wrong, noting that other schools – notably, Andrews – recognizes the regional titles won during the era as state crowns.
Many have long argued that the 1965 Black Knights could have easily won it all if the playoffs advanced past the third round. In the 1A classification, Robbinsville won the 1965 Region 4 championship, but never played Region 1 champion Ayden, Region 2 winners Littlefield or Region 3 title-holder Alpinet.
The Knights were 10-1-1 that year, falling to 2A Swain County 27-21 and tying in the season opener with Andrews, 7-7. They outscored opponents 362-49, including eight shutouts.
Walsh’s plea was met with universal support by the board and though the evidence points toward the state athletic association never going back and formally recognizing regional champions from 1961-71 as “state” champions, a 3-0 vote at the local level will suffice.
Since the 1960s, Robbinsville has not went an entire decade without winning at least one state title. Following Tuesday’s vote, the Knights won it all in 1965, plus 1969, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1992, 2014 and 2019.
Next week: Upgrades coming to facilities, plus insight on plans for improvements to Big Oaks Stadium.