Politics

Community members call on Dale to resign

Shelia Dale is shown in a 2022 photo.

By Bill Moss, Published: October 23, 2026

Calls for Henderson County School Board member Shelia Dale's resignation began arriving this week in the wake of a Hendersonville Lightning report that she had signed a bond freeing her nephew from jail while he awaited trial on 12 charges of statutory sex offense with a child.

As the story circulated widely on social media, candidates, community members and the victim himself urged Dale to resign and called for accountability from the school board. 

Dale posted a $62,500 bond for Christopher Raymond Smith, 46, on Sept. 15, 2025, after Smith was charged with 12 counts of statutory sex offense with a child involving a 14-year-old junior firefighter he had groomed at the Etowah Fire & Rescue firehouse, the Lightning reported on Monday.

"I believe Ms. Dale should resign," said Reid J. Barwick, a Democrat running for one of three open school board seats. "I would like to believe informed voters will make that decision for her."

Barwick said he had waited to respond until he read the coverage the Lightning referred to in its queries. 

"I thought it best not to respond until there was information provided by an independent media on the facts, which your paper clearly presented to its readers in an objective manner," he said via email.

A separate group that includes Bradley Huggins, the victim in the Smith case, copied the Lightning, the Times-News and WLOS-TV on an email to the school board demanding Dale's resignation.

"In light of this Hendersonville Lightning article regarding school board member Shelia Dale, we call for her immediate resignation," the letter said. "On behalf of the victim, concerned parents and concerned community members, this needs to be addressed immediately. If resignation does not occur, we request an emergency school board meeting where the public can voice our concerns."

"Henderson County school board now seems to have a pattern of child predators being on the board and now a child predator protector who was well aware of the abuse," the letter added. "Teachers and school board members take an oath to protect children. Our children deserve to have better elected representation."

The letter was signed by Holly Newton; her mother, Barbara C. "Babs" Newton; James Lyon and Huggins. Holly Newton, Lyon and Huggins are Democrats; Babs Newton is registered unaffiliated.

Dale did not respond on Friday to the Lightning's phone call, text message and email seeking  comment.

In response to the Lightning's request for comment on Dale's actions, School Board Chair Amy Lynn Holt issued a statement on the board's behalf.

“Ms. Dale is an elected public official and actions in her personal life are not an issue for the School Board to officially address unless such actions directly violate law or policy,” she said.

Asked whether she agreed that Dale’s action was “not an issue for the school board to officially address,” Mary Ellen Kustin, a Democratic candidate for school board, said: “Henderson County voters have an opportunity right now to address the issue of Ms. Dale serving in a leadership position of our school system.”

Besides Dale, Barwick and Kustin, other candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot are incumbent Alyssa Norman and challenger Randy Beaver, both Republicans. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the school board is 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, at the school system's central office, 414 Fourth Ave. W.