BJU, Locals Vie for Control of Town's School

Neighbors up in arms over Bob Jones University's plan to turn surplus public school building into fundamentalist academy:

Bob Jones eyes Reidville Elementary for Christian academy

Competing ideas about future of school fracture Reidville

"Reidville Elementary’s future became a hot-button issue earlier this year after Spartanburg School District 5 announced its plans to auction the property"

"discussion over the school’s future continued through the summer and into fall, with public meetings at times growing heated. During an August Town Council meeting, Spartanburg County sheriff’s deputies were needed to calm the scene."

"Bob and Kathy Jordan, the owners of Sugar Tit Moonshine Distillery, say the fight has become personal. The couple backs a proposal by local developer Bill Cureton that would transform the school into a town center, complete with restaurants and space for stores to lease."

"The group Friends of Reidville has a different thought for the site. It hopes to save the school from being developed and wants to transform it into a faith-based educational facility with the help of Bob Jones University." GOP State Representative Bill Chumley and his ally L.B Watson are vocal advocates for BJU's plan.

"Jordan said the closing stages of a community meeting turned tense when Watson attempted to confront her following a meeting. Watson said he disagrees with the idea the exchange was a confrontation. Kathy Jordan said she later filed a complaint with officials regarding Watson’s behavior."

"'I’m a civil employee at the Sheriff’s Office, so she went and filed a complaint,' Watson said. 'I could have lost my job'....Later Watson said he lodged a complaint with state officials over Sugar Tit Moonshine Distillery....He said the complaint had nothing to do with Friends of Reidville, or his ongoing disagreements with the Jordans."

 

Meeting heated, deputies called