An Angry Public Responds to the Superintendent’s Statement

Some in the public are saying it’s too little too late and are asking for his job.

"I pay taxes," Tami Hess of Chattanooga said. "He better open up his mouth quite frankly. We’re the ones that are paying his salary."

Those words from Hess whose grandchild goes to a Hamilton County public school reflect the growing sentiment of other people frustrated with the board of education’s silence.

Superintendent Rick Smith’s first statement was given over two weeks after the alleged rape took place.

"Honestly, it looks like they are hiding something," Hess said. "I don’t know what it is but I can promise you I will keep digging. I got all day."

Smith wouldn’t accept questions after the meeting.

So Hess has begun a petition on change.org to have Smith fired.

"He owes not only every parent in this county some kind of reassurances for our children but this poor boy I can’t even imagine the horror this child went through, is going through now and will continue to go through for a very very long time."

Crisis management experts agree immediate communication is the best route.

"No comment is never an answer," said Robin Derryberry of Chattanooga based Derryberry Public Relations. "You have people who are impacted by these situations. They want to know that someone is on top of things from the very beginning and so even if its just a comment at the very beginning of the situation to say I can’t talk about it but when I can, you will be the first to know."

Derryberry cited the frequent press conferences officials gave mere hours after the July 16th shootings as good crisis management.

And other local leaders think communication is always the best policy with a concerned public.

"We want to be up front," Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke said. "We want to be transparent with people and we want to make sure that people understand what’s going on. I understand why this is so important in our community and how people feel the need to talk about this and to make sure they understand what’s being done."