By Jenny Peterson
Reprinted from The Journal

James Island Public Service District Commissioners remained divided at an April 14.

Four commissioners called a special meeting before the regular commission meeting. The three remaining commissioners said they didn’t know why the earlier meeting was called.

Commissioner Eugene Platt was so angry about the special meeting that he held up a vote to enter into an executive session for 45 minutes by reading excerpts from the Bible, a dictionary and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”

“This reminds me of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’ down the rabbit hole,” Platt said.

“We’re standing on the edge of a rabbit hole; if we jump down, I don’t know how we’ll get out again,” he read.

He said the commissioners were trying to enter into a “kangaroo court,” and pulled out his dictionary to read the term’s definition. He said it was “a court set up in violation of legal procedure.”

The commissioners who called the meeting said it concerned a personnel matter, and it was not appropriate to discuss the matter in public. They quickly picked up on Platt’s attempts to stall the meeting.

“This is ridiculous,” said Commissioner Inez Brown-Crouch.

Platt responded by reading a psalm from the Bible.

Platt, a 15-year commissioner member, said there were a number of reasons he did not want to enter into an executive session.

He said he was angry the special meeting was called by four commissioners without consulting the remaining three. He said he was not asked if the 5 p.m. meeting time was convenient for his schedule.

“What am I? Am I meatloaf? Am I a carrot?” Platt asked.

He added that governments should not operate in private.

“It’s time to stop it,” he said.

Commissioners who called the meeting were June Waring, Charles Rhodes, Karen Clark-Thompson and Brown-Crouch.

Platt and Commissioners Rod Welch and Donald Hollingsworth said they were unaware of the reasons for the meeting, and that similar special meetings have been called in the same way. Welch asked Rhodes for more information about the personnel matter.

Rhodes said, “Y’all three can step outside and we’ll take care of it.”

His comment angered Hollingsworth.

“I take offense to that statement,” Hollingsworth said. “They came here with an agenda and I know nothing about it.”

Platt said the four commissioners were abusing their authority by calling so many special meetings and said, “It’s a dark hour for the JIPSD.”

He then picked up the Bible and read from the 23rd Psalm: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”

In Platt’s last attempt to stall the meeting, he asked that it be held at a later date and time. When the vote to go into executive session passed 4-3, Platt excused himself and left the meeting.

“I’m not going to participate in this kangaroo court,” Platt said, shutting his books. “I will have no part of it.”