Martin faces “uphill battle”

A judge told Tamassee-Salem supporter Lynn Martin she faces an uphill battle to win her court case against Oconee public school officials and the district, but he also indicated he’s impressed by some of her points.  With five rows of supporters behind her, Lynn Martin got her chance today to make her case for the continued operation of Salem’s remaining school, the Tamassee-Salem Middle/High School.  But, Jeff Kull, the Columbia attorney representing the defendants, said it’s Judge Cordell Maddox’s duty to make a ruling on the basis of whether the school board made a “reasonable, rational” decision to close the school, and Kull argued that it did.  The attorney said school officials gave notice they were considering the closing October 8 and followed that with school board meetings where, at one, as many as 50 people were allowed to speak.  They were followed by the actual unanimous vote to close the school effective with the end of the current year.  Martin accused school officials of deception and deliberately facilitating the transfer of students that brought down Tamassee-Salem’s enrollment, which was cited as a motivating reason to close the school.  Martin said she felt part of the closing centered on a rivalry that exists between her school and Walhalla, but that was discounted by board chairman Andy Inabinet when answering questions after this morning’s hearing.  Maddox said he will carefully weigh the arguments and materials submitted to the court before he makes a decision.  Maddox says he doesn’t like to make snap decisions, but will apprise both parties of his decision once he makes it.