Controversy surrounds New Hanover County school board candidate after primary win

March 4, 2026

Bryan Alonso,

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A candidate who finished among the top vote-getters in the New Hanover County Board of Education primary is now facing criticism from local Democratic Party leaders.

Rick Southerland was one of the top four candidates in Tuesday’s primary, positioning him to move forward in the race for a seat on the school board.

However, questions surfaced after WHQR reported that Southerland lives with a registered sex offender named Jaymes Osborne and did not disclose that information to the New Hanover County Democratic Party.

“I was laser focused on doing great things for the blue wave, before having knowledge of wrong-doing by proxy. I’m not a politician and I have learned, so now that this information is out, I would hope to be able to focus my skills to continue doing the right thing for children’s safety,” said Southerland in a phone call.

According to online records, Osborne and Southerland lived together in Wilmington and worked at the PTPT Studio, a performance art hall at Thalian Hall. Osborne’s profile has been removed from the website.

Court records show Osborne pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and received a plea agreement in Virginia. In court filings, Osborne claimed he had been abused as a child and that the abuse had been posted online and he used his phone to try to get rid of it.

Southerland also said he and Osborne bonded over shared experiences of childhood abuse.

“He’s simply a friend, one that has trusted me to share his story somebody in good faith, and that has done everything possible to make this community a better place,” said Southerland.

The issue has drawn criticism from some Democratic leaders. WHQR reports New Hanover County Democratic Party Chair Jill Hopman has asked Southerland to step aside so the party can select another candidate. State Representative Deb Butler echoed that sentiment.

“Mr. Southerland used poor judgment and failed to disclose his relationship with a convicted sex offender, and in my opinion that disqualifies him as a candidate,” Butler said.

Southerland said he plans to continue his campaign until he has a direct conversation with party leaders about the request.

“They haven’t been fully transparent by not having a direct conversation with me about their discussion for me to step aside,” Southerland said.

He added that he hopes to advocate for stronger education programs that teach children about abuse prevention if elected.