Gwinnett County Schools Go Online-Only For Fall

SUWANEE, GA — Gwinnett County Public Schools said Monday morning it would teach classes online only this fall, joining a growing number of Georgia districts that will keep classes virtual to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The decision is an apparent about-face after a Thursday-night school board meeting where all but one member had agreed to offer in-person instruction for those who wanted it.

According to multiple media reports, long-time board chairwoman Louise Radloff could be heard saying “I could strangle him” into an open microphone just after adjourning the meeting.

Everton Blair, the only Black member of the board and the only one to oppose in-person instruction, was the apparent target of the comment.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve been trying to respect the authority of our collective and recognize the complexity of this issue," Blair said to other board members near the end of the meeting, as reported by the Gwinnett Daily Post. “I cannot understand how we can lead in the number of cases in this state and chose not to do something else right now.”

In addition to having Georgia’s largest school system, Gwinnett County also has more confirmed cases of COVID-19 than any other county in the state. The Georgia Department of Public Health reported as of Sunday afternoon that Gwinnett County had 13,444 cases of COVID-19 and nearly 200 deaths.

Details of Gwinnett County schools' online-learning plans are on the district's website.