Former CMS board member says investigation vindicates contract concerns

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education is scheduled to release portions of an investigation report regarding Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill and vote on whether to remove Stephanie Sneed as board chair.

The board’s actions follow allegations of cronyism and misspending raised by Hill against Sneed and former CMS Executive in Residence Raki McGregor. The allegations center on a $500,000 district contract with Sydkyml, a company owned by McGregor’s wife.

Concerns regarding the district’s agreement with Sydkyml were raised more than a year prior to the investigation.

During budget negotiations in March 2025, former school board member Melissa Easley, alongside former board members Summer Nunn and Lisa Cline, voted against increasing the $500,000 contract with the firm.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Explosive CMS files raise questions about board chair, consultant contracts

Board members questioned whether the district was receiving significant results for the expenditure. “Where is the evidence that this directly impacts our students’ outcomes?” a former board member said during the March 2025 meeting.

Easley said that she and her colleagues repeatedly sought clarity regarding potential conflicts of interest surrounding the contract. “The three of us were consistently asking questions,” Easley said.

She noted that raising concerns about the contract resulted in severe opposition. “I tried to make the comments that there was a conflict of interest; I asked the question numerous times,” Easley said, adding, “I was called a racist.”

Easley expressed a sense of vindication as the board prepares to address the investigation. When asked whether she felt former members lost their seats due to questioning the contract, Easley agreed.

“I feel vindicated because these are things that I was trying to call out; I was shut down and told they were not true,” Easley said. “A hundred %, that’s exactly what happened.”

The scheduled board action includes a vote on whether to remove Sneed from her position as board chair.

If the board votes to remove her as chair, Sneed will remain a member of the school board, as three years remain on her term as the District Four representative.

The board is scheduled to release portions of the investigation report. Easley stated she hopes the disclosure will bring accountability to the district.

“I really hope that once it’s out in public, that the right things are done, whatever that may be,” Easley said.