Only Republican Candidates Attend TJCA's Student-Organized Political Forum

What happened: On September 7, 2006, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy hosted a political candidates' forum in its auditorium, organized by students in a senior civics class and sponsored by the Academy's Parent-Teacher Forum. The event was advertised as an opportunity for candidates seeking seats in the North Carolina General Assembly to introduce themselves and answer questions from students and local voters. Although candidates from both major political parties were invited, only three attended: Republican candidates Wes Westmoreland, David Reno, and Tim Moore. The remaining candidates, including Democrats, reportedly declined because of scheduling conflicts or other commitments. The event consequently became an evening in which every participating candidate represented the Republican Party. Contemporary coverage in The Daily Courier described the forum as a one-sided event, while subsequent commentary questioned why only one political party had been represented.

What was established:

A student-organized forum with invitations to both parties

TJCA announced the event in the September 3, 2006, edition of The Daily Courier. The forum was scheduled for Thursday, September 7, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Academy's auditorium. Its purpose was to provide candidates for state legislative offices representing Rutherford and Cleveland counties an opportunity to address local voters. The September 8 follow-up report identified eight candidates invited to participate, among them:

• Walter Dalton, Democratic state senator;

• Wes Westmoreland, Republican candidate for state Senate District 46;

• Bob England, incumbent state representative;

• David Reno, Republican candidate for House District 112;

• Debbie Clary, Republican state representative;

• Jim Long, Clary's opponent;

• Tim Moore, Republican candidate for House District 111;

• Betsy Fonvielle, Moore's Democratic opponent.

Despite the broader invitation list, Westmoreland, Reno, and Moore were the only candidates who participated. The contemporary newspaper record establishes that the Academy's organizers extended invitations across party lines, rather than restricting participation to Republican candidates. The resulting absence of Democratic representation was nevertheless significant because it meant that attendees heard only Republican candidates' perspectives on the questions presented.

TJCA students organize and moderate the event

The forum was organized by students in Ron Evensen's senior civics class. According to The Daily Courier, students helped manage the event's invitations, procedures, speaking order, moderation, and timing. Students Jared Monath and Sam Compton served as co-moderators, while other students monitored speaking times. Each candidate received three minutes for an opening statement, two minutes to answer each of three student-selected questions, and two minutes for a closing statement. Additional questions from the audience followed.

Evensen described the preparation as a practical learning experience that required substantially more organizational work than students initially expected. He also emphasized that students had selected the questions they considered most important. The program therefore had a clear educational component: students were participating directly in the organization and conduct of a public political discussion.

Candidates discuss marriage, economic policy, and foster care

The three questions selected by TJCA students concerned the legal definition of marriage, unemployment and economic policy, and problems involving foster care in North Carolina. All three participating candidates expressed support for defining marriage exclusively as a union between one man and one woman. Tim Moore also discussed his sponsorship of legislation intended to amend the state constitution to establish such a definition. Other subjects included illegal immigration, economic incentives for large industries, taxation, unemployment, and the placement and protection of children in foster care. The newspaper reported substantial agreement among the three candidates on the issues raised.

Consequently, students and audience members received relatively little opportunity to hear competing arguments from candidates holding different political positions. That limitation did not result from a documented exclusion of other candidates. It arose because the candidates who accepted the invitation shared the same party affiliation and many of the same policy positions.

Charter school funding becomes a political issue

One particularly relevant moment occurred during the audience question period. An attendee asked how the candidates viewed the exclusion of charter schools from certain capital-improvement funding derived from the North Carolina Education Lottery. All three candidates supported more equal treatment of charter schools and traditional public schools in the distribution of public education funding. The candidates also characterized the existing funding arrangement as a partisan political decision and suggested that Republican control of the legislature would be necessary to change it. This exchange connected the event directly to TJCA's institutional interests. The Academy was a publicly funded charter school seeking financial and political support for its educational programs and facilities. The candidates' shared criticism of the state's funding decisions therefore concerned an issue with direct consequences for the institution hosting the forum.

A community member questions the one-party attendance

On September 16, 2006, The Daily Courier published a letter from Forest City resident Bob Mellnik concerning political support for TJCA and the future of charter education. Mellnik referred to the recent candidates' forum and observed that only candidates from one political party had attended. He acknowledged that absent candidates might have had legitimate scheduling conflicts but questioned the implications of their absence. His letter also discussed local government decisions involving the old Ellenboro School building and the distribution of public education funding. Mellnik argued that TJCA deserved support from political leaders regardless of party affiliation. The letter provides evidence that the composition of the forum attracted attention beyond the event itself. Rather than accusing TJCA of excluding Democrats, Mellnik expressed frustration that the Academy's educational interests appeared to be caught up in broader partisan disagreements.

Why this matters: The September 2006 forum documents an early intersection between TJCA's educational activities, its organizational interests, and local electoral politics. The Academy provided a venue for legislative candidates, its Parent-Teacher Forum sponsored the event, and students participated directly in preparing and conducting the discussion. These are recognizable features of a civic education program. At the same time, the actual event gave three Republican candidates an opportunity to discuss political positions before students and community members without representatives of the opposing party present to offer competing perspectives.

One discussion also concerned public funding that directly affected charter schools. The documented issue is not that TJCA invited only Republicans—it did not. It is that an ostensibly multiparty educational forum ultimately presented only one party's candidates and viewpoints. That distinction makes the event relevant to the Academy's historical approach to political engagement and its relationship with elected officials. It also provides a useful point of comparison with a more explicitly partisan event subsequently held on the campus: a February 2008 campaign fundraiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith.

Original evidence:

• The Daily Courier, September 3, 2006, p. A2, "TJCA will host candidate forum." Advance announcement identifying the event's sponsor, invited candidates, schedule, and student participation.

• Pam Bunch, The Daily Courier, September 8, 2006, p. 1, "Three GOP filers speak at forum." Reports the participating candidates and explains the absence of other invitees.

• Pam Bunch, The Daily Courier, September 8, 2006, p. 2, "Forum." Continuation detailing the student moderators, candidates' positions, questions, and discussion of charter school funding.

• Bob Mellnik, The Daily Courier, September 16, 2006, p. 4, "Says do not play politics with child's education."Contemporary letter commenting on the forum's exclusively Republican attendance and the political treatment of TJCA.

• Internal Revenue Service, Revenue Ruling 2007-41, subsequently published guidance explaining distinctions between nonpartisan candidate forums and prohibited electoral intervention by charitable organizations.

  
  

Subsequent developments: Less than two years after the 2006 candidates' forum, TJCA became the venue for an explicitly partisan campaign fundraising event. On February 1, 2008, Republican gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith held a barbecue fundraiser at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy as part of his statewide campaign tour. Unlike the September 2006 event, the February 2008 gathering was not presented as a multiparty student educational forum. It was a political campaign event for a single candidate. The distinction makes the 2006 forum an important starting point in documenting TJCA's historical use of school facilities for political activity. The later event raises separate questions about facility access, fundraising, political sponsorship, and whether campaign organizations were permitted to use school property under an established, politically neutral policy. TJCATruth.com welcomes original event programs, invitations, correspondence with candidates, Parent-Teacher Forum records, and other materials documenting how the 2006 forum was organized and how political events were approved.

Report from the community: Contemporary reporting provides firsthand statements from civics teacher Ron Evensen and the participating political candidates, along with descriptions of the roles students performed.

Evensen's comments portray the forum as a practical exercise in civic education, with students responsible for both organizational duties and substantive questions. The September 16 letter from Bob Mellnik provides a separate community perspective, expressing concern about the absence of candidates from one political party while advocating broader political support for TJCA. TJCATruth.com has not yet received additional firsthand accounts from students, parents, teachers, or community members who attended the September 7 forum. We welcome recollections concerning the event's organization, how candidates were invited, the nature of the discussion, and whether similar political forums were held in subsequent school years. Individuals with relevant firsthand experiences are encouraged to contact TJCATruth.com. Requests for anonymity will be respected, and identifying information will not be published without the contributor's explicit consent. All submissions will be handled with discretion and confidentiality.