(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Sean Keefe criticized the Wood County Board of Education Thursday night claiming they made past decisions that encouraged children to take experimental drugs and forced them to wear face coverings for “a disease that didn’t even affect them.”

PARKERSBURG — The Bailey Conference Room had to be cleared Thursday night after the Wood County Board of Education selected former board member Deborah Hendershot to fill the vacant seat left by Sarah Townsend from a pool of 16 candidates.

Those in attendance, including Chad Conley who was on the ballot to serve the remaining 20 months of Hendershot’s term that was left vacant after she stepped down in February to run for magistrate and applied to fill Towsend’s vacancy, began throwing profanities and threats at the board as they were asked to vacate the room so the meeting could continue.

There were even objects thrown at the board as the crowd made their way out of the board room.

“This is not over,” one person in the crowd announced.

Townsend said last week she was stepping down from her position due to health reasons. She was elected in May 2022 and took office that July. She also serves on the Wellness Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee.

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Karen Kibble encouraged the Wood County Board of Education Thursday night to select a new member who will work positively and collaboratively with the other members. She praised the board’s progress on the bond referendum, and the decision to accept the former Ohio Valley University property, and thanked Rick Olcott for his service on the board.

During public delegation, Sean Keefe criticized the board claiming they made past decisions that encouraged children to take experimental drugs and forced them to wear face coverings.

“Then you kept them out of school for a disease that didn’t even affect them,” Keefe said.

He argued the current application process is undemocratic and urged the board to appoint Conley.

“Might as well live in the Soviet Union,” Keefe said. “Not one other person on your list ran for the office, has worked for the office, deserves the office, not one, and that you are even having this process is ridiculous.”

Other than Conley, Ryan Henry also applied to fill the vacancy left by Towsend and was on the ballot to serve the remaining 20 months of Hendershot’s term. Hendershot was elected to the board to serve her first four-year term in 2018 and was reelected in 2022.

During public delegation, Karen Kibble encouraged the board to select a new member who will work positively and collaboratively with the rest of the board and praised their progress on the bond referendum and the decision to accept the former Ohio Valley University property offered by West Virginia University at Parkersburg.

“(That was the) best decision that’s been made in years, and that saved the county millions of dollars,” Kibble said. “That’s the latest example that you all are working well together and organized so that every dime of the bond referendum is being maximized.”

She also thanked Rick Olcott, who was appointed to temporarily fill the seat until the election, for his service.

“He kept us informed about plans and progress happening at the various athletic facilities,” Kibble said. “His expertise and personal interest in our schools will be greatly missed, so I thank you, Rick.”

Board President Justin Raber said Hendershot and newly elected board member Randy Modesitt will attend mandatory training in Charleston on Monday and be sworn in during the board’s regular meeting Tuesday.

The board will meet in the Jefferson Elementary auditorium Tuesday at 6 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed online.