UPDATE: Pitt County school system says WITN can reach out to school board members

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - An Eastern Carolina school system now says that it is okay for the media to contact school board members.

Over the past several weeks, WITN has tried to interview Pitt County Schools Superintendent Dr. Steve Lassiter about proposed teaching position cuts within the school system.

Our requests for an interview have been denied multiple times, and this morning, a school district spokeswoman says they would only provide us with a written statement to our questions.

WITN’s Chris Cooke then began calling elected school board members, asking for interviews. That prompted a phone call from Sara English, interim public information officer, saying we cannot contact the school board members.

A follow-up email from English put that in writing. “I would like to reiterate that this protocol remains in place and applies to all inquiries, including those directed to members of the Board,” said English.

In a phone call after this story was published, English denied telling Cooke not to contact board members and says there was a misinterpretation of her email. She says that the media can contact school board members if it wants to.