CHARLESTON — Members of the Parent Advocacy Group of Kanawha County visited U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito’s local district office to deliver petitions concerning West Virginia public school funding and special education funding.
The group, which advocates for public education, said it had spent months collecting signatures for the petitions. Octavia Cordon, a member of the group, described the visit in a public statement posted on social media.
“I think I’m more hurt than angry of the fact that after months of gathering signatures to protect WV Schools funding and increasing funding for Special Education, we were advised by a staffer via intercom to leave them at the door and someone will pick them up,” Cordon wrote. “I understand security measures but why not share this over the phone when contacted so we could have set up an appointment.”
Video footage from the visit shows the local district office and a Capito staff member communicating with the group through an intercom. The staff member tells the visitors that no one is coming to the door and asks them to leave the petitions at the entrance.
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Rachel Fetty Anderson also commented on the incident in a social media post.
“I can’t emphasize this enough. They work for us. These offices exist for us. Their staff is supposed to respond to us. If they are open and we are there, they need to make the time,” Anderson wrote.
The Parent Advocacy Group – Kanawha County advocates for public education and increased support for special education programs. The group’s visit centered on petitions addressing public school and special education funding in West Virginia.
