
LEE COUNTY
The College District of Lee County is having to pay hundreds of countless numbers of taxpayers dollars to a marketing organization, although allegedly instructing communications staff members to do equivalent do the job.
The do the job concerned monitoring media protection about the district, but some believe any in-property perform could have long gone also significantly.
A data request uncovered the district compensated an normal of $176,000 a yr to a internet marketing business, and the leading support delivered features “Media Monitoring.”
But there’s an active investigation into claims the district communications business required team to do the exact thing, in addition, acquire their search a stage further.
A whistleblower complaint filed in February claims communications workers was instructed to “spy” on Facebook posts and responses about the district though on the clock, perhaps getting paid taxpayer bucks to use taxpayer sources to spy on taxpayers.
University board member Gwyn Gittens says she’s relieved to discover the district is searching into the claims. “It’s currently being investigated now, which I’m extremely happy to listen to. You can kinda have your views and thoughts but when true details occur ahead, I’m extremely content to see that it’s being appeared into.”
The College District of Lee County Director of Strategic Communications, Irma Lancaster, has been open about the advertising and marketing firm’s media monitoring.
She claimed, “The prime three expert services that we’ve employed in communications has been media checking.” And it hasn’t arrive low-cost.
In accordance to financial documents, the district has expended more than $529,000 due to the fact 2019, with 2021 as the most highly-priced year at a lot more than $193,000.
Gittens states board associates typically get media stories sent to them from district staff members, but it is unclear who is compiling the information and facts.
“I’m not at any time certain what section is composed by personnel,” Gittens discussed. “I have mentioned and felt that as sensitive as communications is, occasionally probably we require to combine it up a very little bit.”
The whistleblower complaint alleges district workers had been expected to monitor media articles on the web and then send out the posting, along with general public remarks, to greater-degree communications workers.
WINK News attained hundreds of comments that appear to have been viewed and saved by the district, even with Lancaster’s general public denial that it was going on.
In the course of a college board assembly, board member Betsy Vaughn claimed, “It’s anyone in-residence that would be accomplishing that?” and Lancaster responded, “I’m not mindful of any one in-residence skillfully that would be accomplishing that.”
When the district’s investigation is complete, Gittens hopes they will set forth unified messaging on all platforms. “We have to be particularly watchful about what we set in all those venues simply because which is all they know about us.”
Gittens appreciates most individuals simply cannot go to or observe each school board assembly, and she wishes the district and moms and dads to be capable to hook up greater going forward.
WINK News has questioned the communications office for updates and asked why this information was stored, with the most recent ask for remaining the day of publishing this post.
They say they can’t supply any remark because of the active investigation.
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