New Hanover School Board censures Board Member Tim Merrick along party lines

April 11, 2025

Nate Mauldin,

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Board of Education voted to censure Board Member Tim Merrick on Friday.

The vote was called by Board Chair Melissa Mason (R), who claims Merrick (D) violated policies relating to personnel privacy.

Merrick was contacted by a teacher who expressed concern over a district policy that prohibits any classroom displays that don’t align with the state, nation, or district curriculum—which excludes things like LGBTQ pride flags.

The district’s Student Voice group previously reported to the board that the majority of surveyed teachers said the flag policy negatively impacts their ability to teach and express themselves.

The teacher who emailed Merrick was allegedly concerned they may lose their job because of a small pride flag in a cup on their shelf.

Merrick consulted the teacher and expressed his frustration with the policy—which Mason claims was a violation of the chain of command.

According to Mason, Merrick violated Policy 2175, which pertains to confidential information, and Policy 2120, which outlines the code of ethics for school board members.

The state statute she cited, Article 21A of Chapter 115C, relates to the unlawful access of information in a personnel file.

In several response emails, Merrick denied any wrongdoing.

He also said Mason’s request to hold a meeting on short notice violated board policy, which requires 30 days to prepare a defense.

Friday, hundreds of protesters filled the board chambers, repeatedly chanting “shame” at Mason and other board members.

Protesters said the censure is unnecessary and purely partisan; Merrick agrees.

“It’s a waste of time, it’s a waste of money, we’ve got overcrowded classrooms, we’ve got underfunded schools, we have a potential loss of funding from the Department of Education, what in the world are we doing here,” he said.

During the meeting, Mason pushed back on allegations of partisan politics.

“I have had conversations with Republican board members, giving them consequences as well. It is my decision to make,” Mason said.

The resolution to censure Merrick passed 5-2 along party lines.

New Hanover County Democratic Party Chair Jill Hopman worries about the message the censure sends to faculty and marginalized students.

“I think we can all agree that empathy should not be a crime, it should not be something you are punished or threatened over, and all Tim did was show compassion and empathy for LGBTQ students and staff, and the fact that he is being punished for it, it’s everything wrong with politics it makes me sad,” Hopman said.

Despite the censure, Merrick will retain his position on the board but has been removed from his committee assignments.

Mason later sent a statement to WWAY that reads:

“The responsibilities of the Board Chair are numerous, but two of the most important are: 1) maintaining the integrity of the Board, and 2) ensuring that all members are adhering to established policies. When a Board member violates policy, it is the Chair’s duty to address that violation.

As a teacher, leader, and mother, I’ve learned that the most effective way to correct behavior is by doing so in a manner that protects the individual’s dignity. In my experience, when someone is publicly corrected, the response is often defensive and unproductive. That’s why, when issues have arisen with Board members, I’ve chosen to address them privately, with at least one of our attorneys present—to ensure accountability on my part and to uphold respect for the individual involved.

I used this approach with Dr. Merrick, addressing his policy violations in a respectful and private manner. There have been multiple explanations of the relevant policy violations shared with the full Board by both our attorneys and the Superintendent. I have personally discussed my concerns with Dr. Merrick through phone conversations, in-person meetings, and email correspondence.

Despite these efforts, his response has consistently been to dismiss the authority of the Chair and continue disregarding established policy. As Chair, I have explored other avenues of discipline, but the censure that was presented today was a necessary step to bring accountability to one Board member and uphold the integrity of this body.”