Former councilwoman Tiawana Brown to address CMS board about ‘keeping Sneed’
Former Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown is scheduled to address the CMS school board Tuesday about whether board member Stephanie Sneed should remain in office.
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Brown’s remarks will come as CMS board members prepare for another meeting focused on leadership, accountability and the fallout from former Superintendent Crystal Hill’s firing. Sneed stepped down as chair Sept. 22 but remains the District 4 representative, the same day the board fired Hill. The board is also expected to revisit the public report on the investigation that preceded Hill’s termination and discuss what additional details or reforms should follow.
The speaker list, which states that Brown will discuss “keeping Sneed on the school board,” does not say whether Brown plans to argue for or against Sneed remaining on the board. Brown did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
Brown, a former city council member, pleaded guilty earlier this year to wire fraud conspiracy involving COVID-19 relief money and was sentenced Sept. 22 to 10 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. A judge allowed her to wait until January to report to prison so she could finish college courses, but Brown asked to begin serving the sentence sooner and has since appealed the sentence.
Before Sneed resigned as board chair, three board members sought to remove her from the leadership post, saying they lost confidence in the board’s leadership and wanted to protect the reputation of CMS. Their push intensified as questions emerged about district contracts and payments involving a consultant with ties to Sneed. Two online petitions have also called for Sneed to resign, including one focused solely on her and another targeting all five board members who voted to fire Hill.
Hill raised concerns in a September memo about contracts with law firm Poyner Spruill that routed CMS money to Qonnect LLC, a company owned by former district consultant Raki McGregor. Hill alleged Sneed was closely involved in some of those arrangements. Sneed has not been accused of a crime, and state and federal investigations into alleged financial irregularities at CMS have not publicly identified her as a target.
Brown’s planned remarks are one piece of what could be another consequential meeting for a board still dealing with the aftermath of Hill’s firing and ongoing investigations into district finances. The agenda shows 42 people signed up for public comment on topics ranging from school bell schedules and play-based learning to district finances, Sneed’s place on the board and broader questions about CMS governance.
The board is also expected to return to an unfinished discussion about the public report on the investigation that preceded Hill’s termination.
The board released an 18-page report Sept. 22 summarizing the investigation into Hill, which lasted more than three months, included 86 interviews and reviewed more than 1.5 million documents and emails. The report found no improper conduct by Hill but identified areas where CMS could strengthen personnel practices, workplace culture and other district operations.
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But several board members said that night they were seeing the finished public report for the first time and wanted more time to review it before deciding whether it adequately reflected what the board had learned.
The board ultimately agreed to continue the conversation at its next meeting.
Board member Charlitta Hatch, who originally pushed for a public report on the investigation, said in a recent community newsletter she believes it should “more clearly explain what we learned, what changes as a result, and what accountability looks like moving forward.”
In an interview with The Charlotte Observer, Hatch said the current report provides a high-level summary but could include more detail about specific recommendations and what changes should follow.
“I believe that all board members should have an opportunity to weigh into that report, shape that report, and make sure that it’s reflective of everything that we’ve learned,” Hatch said.
She said Tuesday’s discussion could include both additional details from the investigation and how the board plans to translate its findings into district policies or actions by the superintendent.
Hatch emphasized she is not suggesting the report conceals findings of misconduct. Instead, she said, additional information could explain recommendations involving district processes, policies, ethics and conflict-of-interest safeguards.
“By now our board colleagues would have had time to really take a look and spend more time with the report and what they believe is in the public’s best interest to be included in the report,” she said.
The school board’s regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center.
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This story was originally published October 12, 2026 at 4:55 PM.
