Frederick appointed to District 7 Granville school board seat
Oct. 18—OXFORD — Granville County school board members on Monday filled the vacant District 7 seat, selecting pediatric chiropractor Taylor Frederick to serve until the 2024 election.
Frederick replaces the late David Richardson, who had held the seat from 2016 until his death on Sept. 6. Richardson was the board's chairman at the time of his death.
He will be sworn in on Nov. 7, Granville County Public Schools officials said in announcing the board's decision.
The board's current chairwoman, Glenda Williams, said Frederick "will be a true asset to the team as we all work together in the best interests of the children in our community."
"School was a special time for me, and many of my cherished memories are from those years," Frederick said. "Looking towards the future, I will strive to help create the space and opportunity within our schools to curate a similar experience to what I had for the kids in our county and I hope to be a diligent steward of the trust the board members and my community have put on me."
In appointing Frederick, the board replaced Richardson with his opponent in the spring election. The incumbent won term, polling 484 votes to Frederick's 420, but didn't live to begin his new six-year term.
Both candidates were registered Republicans, but Frederick argued that Richardson, a Baptist minister, had "routinely voted against parental rights at every opportunity," according to a questionnaire published by the Butner-Creedmoor News.
Frederick's campaign page on Facebook said he was committed to "preventing [Critical Race Theory] in our schools, ensuring the rights of parents, increas[ing] transparency from the board, healing the relationship with [county] commissioners and restoring [an] expectation of quality education for our children."
His appointment to the board came on a 4-2 vote, with Williams, Leonard Peace, Gregory McKnight and Amanda LaBrecque supporting the selection. Members Ethel Anderson and Helen Lindsey voted against.
District 7 covers part of the Butner-Stem area, and the members who supported Frederick all represent districts that mostly cover the southern end of Granville County. Anderson and Lindsey represent Districts 1 and 2, respectively, which cover northern Granville.
Oxford is split among Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4. Butner is split between Districts 3 and 7.
Once Frederick takes office, the school board for a brief time will have a majority composed of appointees. Williams replaced former member Rob Rivers in the District 3 seat late in 2020, McKnight replaced former member Ed Mims in the District 5 seat early in 2020, and Lindsey replaced former member Tom Houlihan in the District 2 as of this month.
McKnight didn't run to continue in office, and will give way in December to member-elect Danielle Hayes.
Hayes told the Butner-Creedmoor News last spring that she hoped to partner on the board with LaBrecque and Frederick. She and LaBrecque are, like Frederick, registered Republicans.
Williams and Anderson are unaffiliated voters, while Lindsey and Peace are registered Democrats.
Contact Ray Gronberg at rgronberg@hendersondispatch.com or by phone at 252-436-2850.
