BY KARISSA MILLER

Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education member Abby Trent testified for more than an hour on Monday, detailing several incidents that led her to seek a No-Contact Order against fellow board member Michael Kubiniec.

“I feared for my safety. I felt that I needed to have someone walk me to my car from school board meetings and walk me to my car after work,” Trent, 26, told Judge Christine Underwood. “I did have an incident after a school board meeting where a car was following me.”

Tom Snyder, a family friend, took the stand on Trent’s behalf, explaining that Trent feared for her safety and the well-being of her unborn baby. As a result, Snyder said he began walking Trent to her car after school board meetings and following her home in his own vehicle to ensure she arrived safely.

Following a recess in Monday’s hearing, Snyder testified about a comment he said he heard Kubiniec made during the break.  Kubiniec said, “If Abby doesn’t get this protective order against me, I will come after her,” according to Snyder’s testimony.

Despite that evidence, Judge Underwood dismissed Trent’s motion for a No-Contact Order.

According to the judge, Trent’s attorney failed to prove that Kubiniec’s conduct rose to the level of stalking, which was required to justify issuing the No-Contact Order. 

“There is a big difference between nasty politics, unnecessary politics and just being a nasty person,” Underwood said. “If everybody that hurt our feelings or worried us were brought to court for their behavior, I would spend a lot of time in this courtroom.”

Kubiniec, who denied in a social media post that he made the comments Snyder testified about, said he was pleased with the outcome of the court proceeding.

“It’s great that it has been resolved in my favor,” he said in an interview. “It shouldn’t have been brought in the first place.”

Kubiniec, who was removed from his position as vice chair and later censured by the school board during his first year in office, still faces a misdemeanor stalking charge as a result of a criminal complaint filed by Trent.

Trent said she sought the No-Contact Order as a result of actions by Kubiniec and others after she was forced to move out of her home, which was owned by her grandfather, because it needed repairs.

Trent’s attorney, Christina Clodfelter, attempted to prove that the No-Contact Order was justified because of actions Kubiniec took after initiating his own investigation into Trent’s residency.

Clodfelter introduced multiple emails as evidence of harassment and pointed to the November 6, 2023, school board meeting as evidence that Kubiniec had tried to terrify or intimidate Trent.

I-SS Superintendent Jeff James, who attends all school board meetings, was among the witnesses Clodfelter called to testify Monday afternoon. 

“I heard the words, ‘Where do you live?’ yelled very loudly,” James said when asked about that meeting. “It sounded like Mike and was from his end of the table and was yelled three times.”

“As a matter of fact, the board attorney stepped in and told Mr. Howell to close the meeting down,” he added.

In November 2023, Kubiniec attempted to have Trent removed from the I-SS School Board based on the grounds that she had moved out of the district she represents. Trent had notified I-SS chairman Bill Howell and the superintendent that she had temporarily moved in August of 2023 so her home could be repaired.

According to Howell’s testimony, he contacted the Iredell County Board of Elections and learned that Trent was still qualified to serve on the school board, despite temporarily moving out of her district.

Howell told the school board that Trent was living out of district, but that no one needed to investigate it.

During her testimony, Trent said that Kubiniec sent multiple photos of her house via email, sent mail with tracking information to her temporary residence, and even contacted her family members in an effort to get personal information about her.

“I feared for my safety in my own home. I was worried because it was a temporary move, and it would be another attempt to harass me and potentially hurt me. I was the fourth vote that led to his removal as vice chair,” Trent explained.

As a result of the “constant harassment,” Trent told the Judge that her health began to decline.

“It was already a high-risk pregnancy. I started having issues with my blood pressure and was advised to monitor it at home. I had stress. I couldn’t sleep at night. So they decided to do additional monitoring,” Trent explained, mentioning she had to go to the doctor multiple times a week.

Kubiniec did not testify.

During closing statements, his attorney, Ronnie Crisco argued that Trent’s attorney failed to “establish that any unlawful conduct has taken place.” There was no way of proving that the photos taken of Trent’s house were done so on her property, he said.

After Judge Underwood ruled In Kubiniec’s favor, Crisco asked the judge to order Trent to pay Kubiniec’s attorney fees. The judge denied that motion.