ST. CROIX — The Virgin Islands Board of Elections voted during a special meeting Tuesday against a motion to terminate Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes after a motion to suspend her for insubordination failed.
Additionally, the board approved a motion to have its chair write a letter to the attorney general seeking clarity on its role and rights versus the supervisor’s roles and rights.
Finally, the board approved a motion to alternate the district from which its chair and secretary are elected every two years.
The board held a special meeting to discuss in executive session a matter between Fawkes and Ida Smith, a candidate who unsuccessfully ran for the position of delegate to Congress during last month’s general election after the board placed her name back on the ballot following her initial disqualification by the supervisor.
READ MORE: “Board of Elections places Ida Smith on ballot despite Supervisor Fawkes’ rejection of AG’s opinion”
Before the board met in executive session, board secretary Lydia Hendricks read a letter into the record from Smith that informed the board members of her intent to sue. Smith, in her letter, demanded the board hold a meeting to show cause why Fawkes should not be immediately terminated for multiple issues to include her filing of a lawsuit in Superior Court against nine board members that was ultimately dismissed by the court.
READ MORE: “Fawkes files lawsuit to disqualify Ida Smith’s nomination petition after ‘illegal’ BOE vote”
After executive session, board chair Alecia Wells reported out that the board discussed the matters relating to Smith and Fawkes, noting that no decisions were made. Board members then took turns moving motions.
Raymond Williams moved a two-part motion for the board to suspend Fawkes for insubordination for a time to be determined by the board, as well as to affirm that the Elections System of the Virgin Islands will not pay for any part of her lawsuit. Shikima Jones-Sprauve gave the motion a second. Florine Audain-Hassell objected, questioning how the board could suspend Fawkes considering she was not insubordinate because she complied with the board’s motion to place Smith on the ballot. Williams noted the court’s order dismissing the lawsuit indicated Fawkes had no authority to file the claim.
“It had nothing to do with her putting Ida Smith on the ballot,” Williams said. “She had no authority to sue. That is insubordinate.”
Williams’ motion failed by a vote of 5 to 6, with three members absent. In addition to Williams and Jones-Sprauve, the other members who supported the motion were Epiphane Joseph, Harriet Mercer, and Atanya Springette. In addition to Audain-Hassell, it was opposed by Hendricks and Wells, as well as Kareem Francis, Michael Joseph, and Lilliana Belardo de O’Neal. Lisa Harris-Moorhead, Arturo Watlington Jr., and Angeli Leerdam were absent.
Harris-Moorhead initially attended the meeting but abruptly left after learning Williams gave a second to a motion successfully moved by Audain-Hassell immediately following executive session. The motion required the board chair write to Attorney General Gordon Rhea to seek clarity on the roles of the board versus the supervisor.
After Williams’ motion to suspend Fawkes failed, Epiphane Joseph moved to terminate her.
“I move that Fawkes be fired, be dismissed by the Board of Elections,” he said.
Mercer gave the motion a second. Francis objected, suggesting Fawkes did not do anything to warrant her removal.
“I believe she may benefit from some coaching on this current issue,” he said.
The motion, which was only supported by Epiphane Joseph and Mercer, failed by a vote of 2 to 9.
Mercer then moved to immediately terminate Fawkes, but the board members quickly informed her they had already considered such a motion. Mercer subsequently left the meeting.
Michael Joseph, chair of the board’s Rules Committee, proceeded to give his report on the bylaws. He didn’t hesitate to speak his mind after being interrupted by Epiphane Joseph, who was not reelected during last month’s general election.
“The voters have already thrown you off this board,” Michael Joseph told Epiphane Joseph. “Give us a break.”
Michael Joseph, who was elected to serve another term on the board, then moved to alternate the district from which the board chair and secretary are elected every two years. His motion was approved by a vote of 7 to 1, with Springette voting against it. Moorhead, Leerdam, Watlington, Williams, and Mercer were absent. Francis abstained from voting. Since Wells and Hendricks are from the St. Thomas-St. John District, the board’s next chair and secretary must live on St. Croix.
