Note to Readers: This article and the accompanying video contain adult language and threats of violence.
IFN Staff
Two members of the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education had to be separated by district staff members after the January 12 board meeting was adjourned early because tensions had flared between board members.
A majority of members voted to adjourn the meeting because board member Anita Kurn had repeatedly interrupted Chairman Kevin Angell as he was discussing board procedures and his expectations for board members.
A video of the incident provided to Iredell Free News by I-SS officials in response to a public records request shows the altercation between Angell and board member Mike Kubiniec.
As board members and district staff were packing up to leave the meeting room, Kubiniec picked up where Kurn had left off, accusing the chairman of violating standard parliamentary procedure and school board policy.
At that point, Angell stood up and responded to Kubiniec.
“The best thing that is going to happen to this community is when your sorry ass is out of it,” the newly elected chairman said.
“You guys are a huge problem to this community – the way you conduct your business. I don’t care if we talk about it on the record,” he added.
Kubiniec fired back: “Well, you’re off to a fine start, aren’t you?”
“I don’t give a shit what you think, Mike,” Angell responded.
“Then walk and don’t come back,” Kubiniec said, pointing to the door. “Walk and don’t come back.”
Moment later, as Angell walked past Kubiniec, the chairman said, “You’re lucky I don’t wear your ass out because that’s what you need.”
Kubiniec didn’t back down. “You want something? You want a piece of this?” he asked.
Angell, who had left the meeting dais and was heading for the exit, then turned and approached Kubiniec.
“What are you going to do, old man?” the chairman said.
“Bring it on, bitch,” Kubiniec responded. “Bring it on, bitch.”
“I could kill you right now,” the chairman said.
The two men were practically chest to chest when Kelly McCarraher, the executive assistant to the superintendent and board clerk, intervened.
Just as tensions seemed to be diminishing and Angell appeared to be leaving the room, Kubiniec said, “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.”
Angell then walked back toward Kubiniec and warned him: “Mike, you are this close to getting your fucking head ripped off.”
“Go ahead,” Kubiniec dared him. “Give me some. Right here.”
Several other adults in the room then stepped in and Angell was escorted out of the room as Kubiniec continued chiding him. “Somebody has anger management issues,” he said.
As Kubiniec left the room, the clerk expressed her disdain for what had just transpired.
“This is not how we represent Iredell-Statesville Schools,” she said.
After McCarraher returned to her seat, Kurn approached her.
The board clerk then directed her frustration at Kurn.
“This is ridiculous and we — as a staff — we endure this. We feel the repercussions of y’all’s behavior. And enough is enough. If nobody else is going to say it then, by God, I am.”
The Aftermath
In the hours and days after the altercation, several members of the board shared their thoughts on the meeting and/or the incident that occurred after it was adjourned early.
Angell, in a statement and interview, apologized for how he handled himself. (See below for Angell’s complete statement.)
“My words and conduct after adjournment did not reflect the standard I expect of myself or the standard our community deserves,” he said in a statement. “I sincerely apologize to everyone who witnessed what occurred and who have been made aware in our community.”
His reaction to being interrupted and criticized by Kurn and Kubiniec during and after the meeting, Angell said, was the culmination of watching those board members disrupt and undermine the board’s proceedings for several months.
“As a human being, my central nervous system was overloaded and it came out,” he explained in an interview.
After initially stating that he would not preside over the next board meeting, he changed his mind and said he would serve in his capacity as chairman.
Kubiniec said what occurred during the meeting was “regretful.”
“I felt the meeting had started a downward spiral,” he said. “Knowing we had student recognitions that night and ended the meeting is unfortunate … We should all be regretful of what happened.”
As far as the incident that occurred after the meeting, Kubiniec said he issued a written apology to the board and staff two days later. In a statement issued to Iredell Free News on Monday, he described the altercation as “a heated exchange between Mr. Angell and me that resulted in unprofessional conduct and the use of inappropriate language.” (See below for Kubiniec’s complete statement.)
Meanwhile, the chairman’s threats of violence during the altercation, Kubiniec said, are a violation of board policy and should be addressed by the board.
“Given the severity of this conduct, the Board must determine appropriate accountability and take action accordingly, which may include censure and removal of Mr. Angell as Board Chair,” Kubiniec said.
Vice Chair Doug Knight, who made the motion to adjourn the meeting early, said the board must do better in the future.
“You have to have order and decorum. We didn’t have order or decorum. I hated to end the meeting because I knew it would be affecting a lot of people,” he said. “We have to work to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Board member Ronda Hoke said the board members should remember why they were elected and act accordingly.
“We are an adult board. Everybody needs to act like an adult. We are there for the students,” he said.
Board member Brian Sloan said that he wasn’t in favor of ending the meeting early.
“We have to figure out how to get along,” he said. “We are putting a lot of emphasis on the speed of meetings, in my opinion. It was not a good representation for the kids.”
Kurn, meanwhile, said that she feared for her safety after things got out of control.
In an email that Kurn sent to other board members, she blamed Angell for what happened that night.
“Chairman Angell completely has the upper hand in this scenario. He has the gavel and he has the voter majority to execute his wishes. So why is he fighting a battle that is already won? Why did Chairman Angell choose to escalate a situation where he is already the winner?” she wrote to other board members.
Board member Cindy Haynes said she was disappointed by the events on January 12.
“We are adults and role models, especially for our students. When I was on the board before, we had decorum in the meetings, even though we disagreed. I learned to respect each of my colleagues,” Haynes said.
“I’m disappointed that this occurred. I’m very concerned we adjourned. Hindsight is 20/20. We should have recessed and moved on,” she added.
Haynes said that she believes the board should consider formal action against Angell, Kurn and Kubiniec.
Kevin Angell’s Statement
The community deserves Board of Education meetings that are orderly, professional, and focused on the work of educating students. At our meeting on January 12th, 2025, that standard was not met. The meeting was adjourned early, and afterward I allowed the situation to escalate.
My words and conduct after adjournment did not reflect the standard, I expect of myself or the standard our community deserves.
I sincerely apologize to everyone who witnessed what occurred and who have been made aware in our community.
Accountability must be matched with corrective action. Effective immediately, I am implementing steps to stabilize our meetings and restore professionalism, including stricter enforcement of procedure and consultation with board counsel
and administration regarding parliamentary disruptions.
This moment is not about personalities. It is about the integrity of the institution, the effectiveness of governance, and our responsibility to keep students at the center of our work.
Mike Kubiniec’s Statement
When the meeting concluded on January 12, I raised concerns with the Board Chair and Board Attorney regarding breaches of parliamentary procedure and school board policy. This discussion regrettably escalated into a heated exchange between Mr. Angell and me that resulted in unprofessional conduct and the use of inappropriate language. On Wednesday, January 14, I issued an apology to the full Board and to the administrative staff who were present.
However, during this interchange, Mr. Angell made statements that included threats of physical harm and death. Any threat of violence—particularly language suggesting that someone could be killed—is serious and wholly unacceptable in any public or professional setting, particularly among elected officials.
Under our Code of Ethics Policy, the school board is a self-governing body with the authority – and duty – to discipline its members in accordance with parliamentary procedure and applicable law. Given the severity of this conduct, the Board must determine appropriate accountability and take action accordingly, which may include censure and removal of Mr. Angell as Board Chair.
Weren’t Kurn and Kubiniec at the center of the “thunder dome” incident as well as involved in the inappropriate meetings via text/messaging that they were warned against? Funny they’d bring up procedures and decorum after what seems to be a targeted goading situation. Angell fell for the bait which is unfortunate.
Yes it was them. But they are better than the rest of us Iredell natives at least in their minds. Both transplants to Iredell who are absolute misfits. Both on the board to elevate themselves not to help children. So yeah great role models for our kids. They have to be removed & the residents should demand it. How many chances does an elected official get?
Since December 2022 Kubiniec & Kurn have acted this way & then tried to play the victim. Unprofessional & disrespectful to the students & taxpayers of Iredell County. And they get a monthly check to act this way & disrupt our school district. I encourage each person in Iredell County to write a letter to the Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office requesting their removal from this board for repeated policy & ethical violations, failure to perform their fiduciary duties & inability to perform those duties. This is not fair to the staff or other board members to be harassed & gas lit every single month. Go back where you came from Kubiniec & Kurn. You are a disgrace to yourselves & make our County look bad.
I see they work together just as well as our government. Good job!
Censure and dismiss both of them! This embarrassment must be dealt with firmly and swiftly or it will not resolve. There is obvious bad blood between the two who make their positions about themselves and not the students.
I see the Angell posse has flooded the comments making excuses for him as usual. Regardless of whether or not he was “targeted,” he’s a grown man, the chairperson, and was the first to threaten violence.
What is Kurn & Kubiniec’s excuse for being disruptive & provoking confrontation? I keep forgetting we aren’t allowed to discuss anything negative about them. Funny that they are the source of every controversy but then try to shift the blame. Game over! People, see the 2 for what they are.
Exactly, why are people defending these two and crucifying the one that was actually threatened with bodily harm?
Mr. Angell should be stripped of his chairmanship and censured for his behavior. Mr. Kubiniec did NOT threaten physical violence and death – Angell did! Angell even advanced physically and had to be separated. Kubiniec’s and Kurn’s behavior should NOT be equated with what Angell did. Neither should their consequences. Arguments happen and can escalate, but a line was crossed when Angell threatened to kill Mr. Kubiniec. Even if Kubiniec stood his ground, that does not justify Angell’s behavior.
The context that is missed by many here is that Angell and his two predecessors as chairs (Knight and Howell) have acted to suppress and deny the expression of the public at the meetings. This is a major breaking of public trust that should concern everyone.
Emails sent to all of these chairs for the last several years by the public and other board members on this issue have been repeatedly and summarily dismissed – this is the root cause of the altercation. The chair must be responsive to the board and the public – they are not a dictator, so should not act like one.
Kubiniec and Kurn have pulled these subversive tactics for years, and I’m actually glad someone stood up to them. Now they are playing victim after instigating in again and again. Of course even Kubiniecs statement calls for harsher discipline for Angell than himself, because it’s political in nature. That man wasn’t scared, if he was he would have not kept taunting.
I agree the entire board needs to get along better, and that starts with everyone being respectful in and outside of meetings. I think Angell should remain.
They both should be fired!
A real embarrassment. Both should be dismissed! Looks as if both have ego issues.
This is about kids and education.
I think we need a whole new board.
Let’s ALL stop for minute & think about this escapade. Are these elected Board of Education members NOT same ones making policy regarding bullying/fights for children & young adults attending ISS?
Speaks volumes when they act like this!
If you can’t act like adults and set a good example for our children, GO HOME! Issues can be handled in a calm way if you people would get over yourselves and do what’s best for the children!
So my tax dollars are paying for this type of behavior? So I’m trusting my kids education with these folks? Fire all of them and start over. We are funding this behavior? It doesn’t matter who started or finished it. This is unacceptable and the state needs to investigate all of them. Maybe a call to Raleigh will straighten up the system here.
Dump them all. Our kids deserve to have better role models than these idiots.
Time for the County Government to step in have a public hearing and remove these folks.
It is beyond insulting for the people of Iredell County to have people on the school board to be so rude. Kubiniec has been a disgrace since day one. And now he wants to go to Raleigh to represent us. Can you imagine what the rest of the state will think about Iredell County? Discuss procedures behind closed doors and keep your mouth shut and address items for the benefit of the children and teachers. Leave your egos in the sewer where they belong. Iredell County, we are better than this.
What would the punishment be if two students behave like this?
I believe if they were students they would both be punished. So they both need to go.
No matter who was wrong, I’m thoroughly disappointed in Angell’s language! Such vulgarity from a man who claimed as a candidate to be above all that.
I am currently a student at ISS. I cannot believe the complete disregard that this current board has for students’ education. Without students, where would they be?
These two have the emotional maturity of 12 year olds. They should be censured and removed from the board. I agree with the question that was raised about sending Kubiniec to Raleigh. Is that the quality person we want representing Iredell County? I think not.
Jesus wept.
Both should be removed. This is inappropriate behavior. If a student had this type of behavior what would the repercussions be? They are not role modeling appropriate behavior.
Fools, and the fools that voted for them, again and again, deserve one another.
Give them all big sticks, cage them up in the “Thunderdome”, turn on the stadium lights, charge admission, and sell some popcorn while they bludgeon one another. Put it on YouTube and at least make some money from this Republican Freakshow.
Kubi has worn out his welcome and I’m tired of it. If you want to talk the talk, you need to walk the walk. Kubiniec hasn’t done his job since the day he got there and thinks he’s going to represent us in Raleigh. Ha! Bunch of nonsense. FIRE ‘EM ALL!
Glad to see they were fighting for something. They sure don’t fight this hard for the public education system they were elected to fight for. Such a shame. Mrs. Kurn’s comments about the chairman having all the votes and already won the debate makes zero sense because if she knows he already won why is she still interrupting to get her point in. Terrible leadership skills by all 3 involved. Unfortunately, you have to be accountable for your actions — even when justified. All 3 should be removed.
On Jan. 12th, I watched the I-SS board or as I think a more appropriate narrative is dumpster fire. The Chairman gaveled in the meeting and referenced policy and procedures applicable to the meeting. It was clear to me the atmosphere was highly charged and there were elected members present who were not necessarily in agreement, and had an alternative plans. It was clearly evident early in the meeting Ms. Kurn, Mr. Kubenic and Mr. Sloan had intentions to aggressively pursue ways to create animosity and disruptions to the proceedings. I must admit they achieved the goal in spectacular fashion. This could have been a remake of Mean Girls if they had been in middle school. he sad reality is seven grown people asked the taxpayers for the honor of being elected to a position that sets policy and budgets for the I-SS school system. They cannot be fired as was suggested. Wouldn’t that make things easier? In my opinion Ms. Kurn bears the brunt of the blame. She played her role perfectly — disrupt and disrespect, and while her performance was noteworthy it does not get an Oscar nomination. Mr. Kubenic performed as usual being disagreeable and unprofessional at every opportunity while slyly campaigning for a role in Raleigh. Mr. Sloan also deserves honorable mention as the clueless country bumpkin.
While Mr. Angell tried his best to control the meeting, it was clear three contrary members had other plans. I have read the statements from each board member. I agree with some not as much with others. Ms. Haynes, if you did not agree the meeting should have been adjourned why did you vote in favor of the motion?
It seems to me the true hero of the evening was the board clerk, Ms. McCarraher who expressed how many of us feel. I think we should give her a raise.
But, you the voters of Iredell County, are the ones liable for this fiasco. It is never too late to change direction. Make better choices at the ballot box. Vote for people — not party.
Agreed! Ms. McCarraher stepped in to help resolve while it appears that Dr James made no attempt to get up and help. What a great leader.
And these people are in charge of our children?? What a way to be a good influence on students! And they expect kids to behave in schools??? Really??? So disgusting for adults to act this way. We need better people on the board!!! So embarrassing for this school system!! Get over yourself and do the job you were elected to do!!
This is very unprofessional and non-productive show of egos. The Chair should be removed from that position as he can not be expected to conduct himself in a manner of professionalism and respect for all Board members. How can the board support discipline of students portraying similar actions when the board members can’t behave appropriately?
The citizens of Iredell County keep electing these boneheads so you get what you deserve.
If a sitting board member becomes disqualified (most likely by moving outside of the jurisdiction, or by being convicted of a felony), he or she must leave office. The desire to remove a member who is not disqualified is different, and you basically are left until the next election when voters can vote him/her out. I’m sure there are rare instances when removal is done. Calls for resignation are understandable but not a substitute for discipline. What I find ironic is that there were absolutely no Democrats that filed to run in the next school board election; yet, people complain ad nauseum about the school board. If you want to make changes to the school board, why aren’t you doing anything about it?
Elect clowns, get a circus!
I am so sick of this same song & dance. The disruptions the disrespect have been going on for 3 years. It is the same 3 people- Kurn Kubiniec & Sloan. For anyone to attack Angel you have been asleep at the wheel. These attacks are planned & premeditated. They are intended to gas lite & disrupt every single meeting. The same things were done to Knight & Howell when they were chair. Complete disrespect. They do not care about your children period. All 3 want to be celebrities & elevate themselves politically aka Moms for Liberty. Angel is a human being. He can only take so much abuse & if someone said “Bring it on Bitch” to me rest assured I wouldve done the exact same thing. And so interesting how Kurn tried to put her hand on Kelly’s back after her actions caused the entire episode. That is the true definition of a self absorbed narcissist. District 7 you need to find a write in candidate & get that woman out of that seat. She is a disgrace to Lake Norman & herself.
We don’t excuse a parent verbally abusing a child because the child “pushed their buttons.” Authority comes with responsibility for self-control. The same is true for a board chair. Once someone says, “I could kill you,” it stops being about stress or temperament and becomes a safety issue. That’s why institutions are required to act.