Madison City Schools superintendent Ed Nichols reportedly requested that one of the largest polling stations in Limestone County be marked as a private location, prohibiting both campaign signs and campaigning on the premises, according to reporting from 1819 News.
The revelation comes after Limestone County Probate Judge Charles C. Woodroof, the presiding official over his county's elections, contradicted Nichols' claim, telling 1819 News on Tuesday that the school system directly requested James Clemens High School be designated as a private location for the election cycle.
When Nichols was initially contacted for comment, he denied that he or anyone in the school system had requested the change.
"I don't know. I haven't talked to the probate judge," he said. "I didn't request it. We haven't requested any change from what we've had before."
Minutes after denying he had made the request, Nichols changed his tune on a separate call, saying the decision was made to protect students on campus, raising questions about why the superintendent was unaware of a major decision affecting student safety at one of the largest schools in his district.
Nichols is known to have a close working relationship with members of the Madison City School Board, including former board member Connie Spears, who is running for Alabama Board of Education Place 8. Spears unequivocally backed Nichols and laid blame for the private classification on the county judge.
"I was over at the graduations, and that was the first the mayor had heard of it, but it's a county election and is driven through the counties, " Spears told 1819 News. "If that's a policy they have in Limestone County that you can request to be considered private and put that out, then you know that's up to them, but what we [Madison City School Board] did was, if it was on the list, we respected their request."
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