Officials to discuss prevention funding, Confederate flag display

Special meeting will be open to public discussion

Charles County Board of Commissioners’ President Peter Murphy (D) has called an unusual recess meeting of the commissioners on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 5:30 p.m. at the County Government Building to address two issues that have been at the forefront of the public’s attention in recent weeks.

The commissioners will request approval for funding to help offset the costs of the sexual abuse prevention education program that the Charles County Board of Education recently launched for its employees. The decision to fund the program was prompted by public concerns arising from the arrest of a former instructional assistant at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School who has been charged with sexually abusing numerous students.

“I understand that the board of education has done a lot to address this issue and I applaud them,” Murphy said.

“I know they’re doing their part, and I thought it was only right that the board of county commissioners step in and see what we could to to assist the board of education in making sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Murphy said that he hopes to get unanimous support from the commissioners to allocate the funding.

The other issue to be addressed is the display of the Confederate battle flag at the upcoming Charles County Fair. The board will vote whether to request that the fair not display the flag throughout the fourday event, as it has in the past.

“In light of what has been going on elsewhere in the country, I thought

it would be good to bring the commissioners together to address the matter,” Murphy said. “It behooves us to come together as a group and have that conversation publicly.”

Murphy noted that the commissioners are on recess until Tuesday, Sept. 12, which is just two days before the start of the fair. “If we waited until we came back from recess, it wouldn’t leave

much time for a discussion,” Murphy said.

Commissioner Ken Robinson (D) said that he has raised the issue with the fair in the past, and that a collective statement from the

commissioners will have more influence on the fair’s board of directors.

“I don’t think there is any place for the Confederate battle flag anywhere in Charles County or anywhere in the nation, for that matter,” Robinson said. “I recognize that this is a matter of free speech, but I am hopeful that people will do the right thing in this matter.”