Former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board chair Stephanie Sneed urged fellow board members to hire an outside crisis public relations firm two days after resigning. The Sept. 24 email was first reported by WCNC Charlotte.

Sneed sent the email, labeled "outstanding item," on Thursday, Sept. 24, to the full board. She had stepped down as chair on Tuesday, Sept. 22, hours before a scheduled vote to remove her.

The email included draft language for a request for proposals from PR firms. It called for a firm to protect the "institutional interests, credibility, and public reputation" of the CMS Board of Education. Sneed wrote that the request should go out immediately, with responses due within five business days.

The pitch focused on crisis communications, reputation management and strategic media relations. Among its stated goals: addressing "inaccurate or misleading narratives" and correcting what Sneed's draft called inaccurate reporting. CMS already has an internal communications department.

New board chair Dee Rankin told WCNC Charlotte on Wednesday, Sept. 30, that the proposal has not moved forward. "This has not been brought before the full board … That's not really my top priority unless several board members say we need it," Rankin said.

Rankin added that the board has no plans to hire a PR firm at this time. He noted separately that a superintendent investigation summary report had recommended retaining a crisis communications firm for future support, but called that recommendation "a consideration," not a commitment.

Sneed's email also referenced a prior conversation between the chair and vice chair about hiring a PR firm. Rankin held the vice chair role before Sneed's resignation.

Sneed did not respond to WCNC Charlotte's questions about the proposal. WCNC reported that she has declined comment on the contracting allegations at the center of the scandal but called "the frenzy of the public … shameful" during the Sept. 22 board meeting.

The turmoil traces to a WCNC Charlotte investigation that exposed a complaint accusing Sneed of bypassing district contracting rules in a way that benefited former CMS executive Raki McGregor. McGregor's company, Qonnect LLC, received $30,000 a month through contracts with Raleigh law firm Poyner Spruill that were funded by CMS, according to WSOC-TV. Sneed and McGregor also pitched the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office on a $400,000 consulting contract this spring, The Charlotte Ledger reported.

Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather has asked the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to open a formal criminal investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving CMS transactions. The North Carolina State Auditor's office is also investigating, working alongside the SBI.

A WCNC Charlotte review of public records found the CMS turmoil has cost taxpayers close to $1 million so far. That includes $379,000 for the investigation into fired Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill, a $340,000 termination payout and $220,000 for an outside compliance review.

Sneed remains on the board as the District 4 representative. Her term runs through 2029. The board voted 6-2 on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to create a superintendent search committee, though no timeline has been set.