NATCHEZ — After only an hour as a sworn school board member Thursday, Phillip West called for the resignation or firing of Natchez-Adams School Superintendent Frederick Hill.

West, who was appointed by the Adams County Board of Supervisors, took his oath of office at the beginning of Thursday’s meeting.

The first official move he took after being sworn was to make a motion to amend the meeting agenda to include a personnel matter, which was seconded by board member Thelma Newsome and passed unanimously.

When the board reached the matter, West passed letters to the board members, Hill, Deputy Superintendent Tanisha Smith and school board attorney Bruce Kuehnle, saying it was correspondence about the personnel matter he wanted to address.

Alluding to the September ruling by a federal jury that found Hill, Smith and the school district liable for creating a hostile work environment — including racial discrimination — for former Principal Cindy Idom, West made two motions calling for Hill and Smith’s resignation or firing.

When Newsome and board member Benny Wright objected that personnel matters should by standard procedure be discussed in executive session, West responded, “I am not discussing the job he is doing. I am discussing facts, the public record.

“If you want to go to the back room, that is your choice.”

West said he has “been fighting racial discrimination my whole life.

“If it was a white person who was found guilty of racial discrimination, you would be getting ready to march in the streets.”

West said he could not think of another job in which an employee who was found liable in similar circumstances would still have a job.

While no board members ultimately seconded West’s motions, they did vote to enter into a close determination to decide if they would discuss the matter. The vote was 4 to 0, with Wright abstaining.

After the determination, the board said they would be discussing a legal update, a personnel matter and several student disciplinary appeals.

The meeting started at 4 p.m., and including the executive session lasted until approximately 9:20 p.m.

When it ended, Board President Amos James said the board took no action except to uphold the disciplinary measures.

Hill declined to respond to West’s comments.

James’ appointment as president had come earlier in the meeting, when board member Cynthia Smith called for the appointment of officers at the meeting instead of waiting until April, as past board policy dictated.

Wright — who as vice president was conducting the meeting — asked at that time why the need for new officers was so urgent, to which Smith and James replied that the board needs a president. The last president, Tim Blalock, left the seat when his term ended and West was appointed in his place.

Wright voted against the proposal, while Smith and James were for it. West did not vote at the time because he had not yet been sworn in.

Once West was sworn in and the board took up the matter of officers, Smith nominated James, a move seconded by West. Newsome nominated herself for president, which Wright seconded.

West, Smith and James cast their votes for James, while Wright and Newsome voted for Newsome.

When nominations for vice president were opened, no one volunteered a nomination. Under the school board’s rules, that meant the vice presidency reverted to the person who already held it, Wright.

West nominated Newsome for secretary, which was seconded by Smith. Though no other names were put forward, the vote was 4-1 because Wright voted against it. He did not offer a reason why he voted against Newsome’s nomination.