‘You are not the victim’: DeSoto residents renew calls for school board member to resign over support letter
DeSoto County School Board members Charles Barton, left, and Michele Henley, right, along with Belinda Eldred, the board’s executive assistant, center, attend the school board meeting Dec. 4. (Brandon LaGrone II/The Daily Memphian)
Speakers at the Dec. 4 DeSoto County School Board meeting continued to call for board member Michele Henley to resign over her support letter for former youth pastor Lindsey Whiteside.
Of the three people listed to speak during the public comment segment of the board meeting, two addressed Henley directly.
Both argued that her continued presence on the board undermines public trust after she wrote a character letter for Whiteside, who pleaded guilty in state court to sexual battery of a minor. Additionally, she was later indicted on federal charges related to transporting a minor across state lines for sexual activity.
Pam Pegram, the victim’s grandmother, returned to the microphone. She has addressed Henley previously.
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Brandon LaGrone II
Brandon LaGrone Jr. is a Bluff City native who has earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from LSU’s Manship School. He’s written for publications including The (Baton Rouge) Advocate and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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