From Staff Reports 

Buncombe County Republican Party Chairman Doug Brown is facing a charge of assault on a female following an incident in which a verbal disagreement with Buncombe County Board of Education member Amy Churchill turned — allegedly — physical on July 24.

Assault on a female is a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to 150 days in jail. 

However, “Class A1 misdemeanors in North Carolina carry a maximum sentence of 60 days for people without a criminal record,” the Asheville Watchdog website stated. “Brown does not have any convictions in Buncombe County, according to court records.”

Citing court records, Brown “is due in court on Sept. 7,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) noted.

On July 25 (a day after their alleged interaction), a criminal summons against Brown was filed by the Buncombe magistrate’s office and the Asheville Police Department (on behalf of Churchill), alleging that Brown shoved her through a doorway at a monthly political party meeting — and told her, “You’re not a Republican!”

Brown became the chairman of the BCGOP in March — and Churchill was censured in June “over her recent support of Democrat-backed Buncombe County School Board candidates and her opposition of a new Republican-crafted law — House Bill 66 — that will force school board elections to change from at-large to district-based,” Asheville Watchdog noted.

The alleged assault occurred at the BCGOP headquarters off Regent Park Boulevard in West Asheville.

In a telephone interview with the Daily Planet on July 28 morning, Brown. 64, said the following:

“It’s unfortunate that she (Churchill) interpreted it that way. I’ve always felt we’ve had open doors of communications between ourselves.”

When pressed by the Daily Planet for further comment, Brown said that the aforementioned comments are all he has to say for now. 

Meanwhile, Churchill was contacted by the Daily Planet on July 27 for her side of the story, and rather than doing an interview, she opted to send the newspaper the following statement:

“I’ve been a school board member since 2012, and care deeply about our public schools, our students and our teachers. In my view, school boards have no business being partisan, and school board members should put students, educators and public schools first, making decisions that support them without regard to any political party or political agenda. 

“As anyone paying attention knows by now, I stand up for my beliefs and seek to share my informed opinions, particularly in the face of ill-informed policies and positions that negatively impact our schools. Unfortunately, that sometimes means taking a position counter to political agendas, including that of my own Republican Party — something people who put politics first often don’t like and don’t understand, particularly if they have no knowledge or true understanding of our public schools.

“What should be understood by everyone is that putting hands on another person, presumably in order to intimidate them, is just wrong and should not be tolerated. I was shocked when it happened to me at the Buncombe GOP meeting, and even more shocked to hear Mr. Brown imply that putting his hands on me was a ‘brotherly and sisterly gesture.’ It was nothing of the kind.

“I’m a Republican. I was raised in a Republican family, and have always held Republican values. But when it comes to the Buncombe Board of Education, I’m a school board member, a parent and a public school advocate first, a Republican second. 

“That is how it should be, and I won’t be intimidated or bullied into thinking otherwise.”

Elsewhere, News 13 noted in its report on the alleged assault that Churchill declined to participate in an on-camera interview, but did send the TV station’s Hannah Mackenzie an audio recording of the alleged incident involving Brown.

“According to Churchill, she recorded it with Brown minutes after the assault,” News 13 stated.

In a review of the recording, the TV station transcribed it as follows:

“‘Are you waiting to talk to me?’ A man’s voice can be heard saying.

“‘I am,’ responded Churchill.

“Most of the audio file is inaudible, but one can hear Churchill speaking.

“‘You’re certainly not a gentleman never, ever put your hands on me again,’ she said. ‘I don’t care who you are, you don’t push somebody.’”

Further, News 13 stated, “Churchill, a registered Republican, said Brown was agitated that she was at the meeting. She said he kept saying she wasn’t a Republican.

“While confronting him after the initial physical altercation, Churchill said Brown grabbed her by the shoulders a second time. This time, she said, he didn’t push her.

“‘Don’t lay a hand on me again,” Churchill said in the audio recording.

Meanwhile, Asheville Watchdog also reported the following:

• “‘I was just in shock at that behavior,’ said Churchill, who is recovering from surgery on a fractured right ankle and said she was wearing a visible brace at the time of the alleged assault.”

• “Brown, 64, initially via text Tuesday evening (July 25) declined to comment on the case. He later texted, ‘I’m doing good work for the party and she would like to stop me. We are a friendly office and hands on the shoulder are brotherly and sisterly gestures.’”