Updated 3:15 p.m.
A civil rights protest at Williams Township School was abruptly cancelled this afternoon due to a shooting in Myrtle Beach.
A protest and a counter protest were planned for today at Williams Township School. Supporters of the school and a substitute teacher accused of racism still turned out for their own demonstration.
True Healing Under God (THUG), a civil rights organization led by John Barnett III of Charlotte, has been holding occasional protests outside the school for weeks. The group became involved after two parents accused a substitute teacher of making racially charged remarks toward two children. The parents told media at a press conference that the girls had since attempted to self-harm herself and both were traumatized by the alleged incident.
Columbus County Schools has not released the name of the substitute, but other sources confirmed her to be Iris McPherson, a veteran educator. The schools conducted an investigation into the allegations but took no action. CCS Spokesman Kelly Jones said the system does not comment on personnel issues.
McPherson was hired as a substitute in 2024, and has not been discharged, according to a public records request.
The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that additional security was deployed to the school today.
As Barnett called for a larger protest today, parents of WTS students and supporters planned a counter-protest in support of McPherson.
Parents shared on social media Monday morning that students were being told to ignore the protestors outside, and teachers were closing the blinds to all windows facing the intersection of U.S. 701 and F.M. Cartret Road. Jones said the schools had no comment other than that all procedures and policies were being followed at the school.
The Dollar General store across the highway from the school posted signs this morning that said “protestors will be towed”.
Parents have posted in recent days about THUG protestors allegedly photographing cars and students in the pickup line.
As of 1:20 p.m., Barnett had not arrived at the protest. A number of WTS parents and supporters were on the public right of way beside the school.
Barnett describes himself as a “national civil rights activist” on his Facebook page, and calls himself the “Black Clark Kent”. He publicized today’s protest as a “Civil Rights Prayer and Demonstration for the Students.”
He has been interviewed by multiple news programs about civil rights work in several states. Barnett was also one of the leaders and speakers at a rally protesting police violence in Charlotte in 2020. That rally was blamed for a riot that caused multiple injuries.
It’s not Barnett’s first visit to Whiteville.
In 2018, he organized protestors who marched around the courthouse shouting anti-police slogans after former Whiteville Police Officer Aaron Herring was charged with assaulting a prisoner in his custody in 2015.
Herring was indicted by a grand jury on charges of assault, dereliction of duty and other crimes. Herring was found not guilty in 2018 and hired as Chief Deputy when Jody Greene was elected that fall.
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