March 19 2024- The Cobb County School District is facing scrutiny after more than 700 documents obtained through an open records request revealed concerning messages exchanged by district staff. The messages show staff pressuring media outlets regarding coverage of the district and accessing a student’s personal information to prevent her from speaking at a board meeting. The exchanges involved John Floresta, the chief of strategy and accountability, and members of his department. They discussed preventing criticism of the superintendent at a September meeting and sought to influence an article written by the daughter of a Board of Elections member. The messages also referenced a lawsuit involving the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration, where the district intervened to defend electoral maps. These revelations raise questions about the district’s actions and handling of sensitive information.
Cobb Schools Staff Pressured Media, Accessed Student Files Inappropriately, Documents Show
Updated on March 19, 2024