A Thursday morning proclamation honoring Booker T. Washington High School’s state championship girls’ basketball team turned into a public clash between the Escambia County Commission and Clerk Pam Childers over whether the county could cut a $1,000 check to support the program.
Lady Cats Make History
The Escambia County Commission opened its March 26 meeting by recognizing the Lady Cats, who finished the 2025-2026 season with a 24-3 record, rode a 19-game winning streak to the Class 5A state title—the school’s fifth state championship and first since 2000—and entered the state playoffs ranked No. 1 in their district and No. 2 overall in Class 5A.
Commissioner Lumon May, who presented the proclamation, didn’t hold back his pride.
- “No one has brought more goodwill to this community than those ladies traveling and going throughout,” May told the commission. “You couldn’t pay for that advertisement for Escambia County and for Pensacola.”
A Historic Coach and a Future Seminole
Head Coach Jade Brown made history this season, becoming the first African American and first female head coach in Washington’s program history to win a state championship. She also notched her 200th career victory during the run.
Brown addressed the commission with gratitude—and a challenge.
- “Our motto is don’t get outworked,” she said. “We may not be the biggest, maybe we might not be the quickest, but if we can outwork you, we can beat you. And I know that’s something that you guys probably can use as a motto as well.”
The team’s standout player, Chamiah Francis—the No. 1 ranked player in Florida’s Class of 2026 and a signee at Florida State University—spoke on behalf of her teammates.
- “It took a long time to get here,” Francis said. “To be able to accomplish this thing with such a fond group of teammates that I have behind me is unimaginable, actually.”
The Check That Wasn’t Cut
After the players and coaches left the chambers, Commissioner May revealed that the full commission had voted to award the team $1,000 from discretionary funds—a practice he said has been in place for 10 to 12 years—but Clerk Childers had refused to process the payment.
May didn’t mince words.
- “We’ve done it for 15 years,” he said. “We should just pay it. And so what we’ve done—we’ve resubmitted it multiple times. Multiple times.”
He tied the payment directly to the county’s broader spending on events like the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and American Magic’s SailGP training base.
- “We spend a lot of money, whether it’s Sunbelt or whether it’s American Magic, and people say they’re bringing recognition to this town,” May said. “You telling me that we don’t sponsor things in terms of promotions and bringing things to Escambia County? What better marketing tool than you had?”
Childers Holds the Line
Childers acknowledged her personal connection to Booker T. Washington—noting that coaches on the staff had taught her own children—but said her position was firm.
- “As a clerk, my decision stands,” she said. “I’ve put it in writing. I’ve made statements as to what our property taxes and the general fund should pay. This is not what we pay.”
She suggested the commission look to the Law Enforcement Trust Fund—proceeds from law enforcement seizure sales administered by Sheriff Chip Simmons—as an alternative funding source, and showed she’d be willing to encourage the sheriff’s office to direct money to Washington.
- “I would encourage you to speak to the sheriff to get money and approve that money, and I will too, to Booker T. Washington,” she said.
Kohler on Childers’ “Overreach”
Commissioner Mike Kohler came out swinging, arguing the clerk had overstepped her authority.
- “In the 67 counties in the state of Florida, you elect commissioners. Those commissioners decide public purpose of funds,” Kohler said. “I totally believe in bounded government. I think she’s overreached her bounds.”
He demanded accountability for years of prior payments.
“You don’t get to escape that,” Kohler said. “You got to own it and tell the people you either failed paying it for 12 years and then got religion, or say you were the worst clerk in the state. You caused this, you ate it.”
Childers was unmoved.
- “Mr. Kohler, I hear your words,” she said. “My decision stands.”
Hofberger: “When We Know Better, We Do Better”
Commission Chair Ashlee Hofberger supported the clerk’s position, suggesting that changing course on longstanding practices isn’t inherently wrong.
- “I feel like there’s a lot of things that when we have more information, and we have more examples, when we know better, we do better,” Hofberger said. “10 years ago, we all gave our kids red dye 40, and we ate the Cheetos, and we drank all the Kool-Aid with all the dyes in it.”
She drew a parallel to evolving guidance on vaccines, arguing that updated information should drive updated policy.
May wasn’t having it.
- “If you abuse your children for 10 years and then they come—I mean, you don’t get to escape that you abused your children,” he said. “That’s an unfair comparison.”
Commissioner Barry also pushed back directly on the analogy.
- “I don’t think the example of things that were done with dyes or eating Cheetos is the same as what we’re discussing,” Barry said. “Those probably have to do with scientific discoveries or things that have changed over the years. I don’t know that the law has changed over the years up here.”
Barry argued that discretionary payments to school programs have long been among the most common—and most defensible—uses of those funds.
“If you talk to people in leadership at schools and in the administration, they don’t have the ability to fund all these things,” he said. “Schools are funded with public money and it was never an issue. It was never an issue until it was.”
May Calls for an Attorney General Opinion
Commissioner May said he has asked county staff and legal counsel to seek an Attorney General opinion on whether the discretionary fund payments are permissible.
“If it’s wrong, Pam, I’m good,” May said. “If it’s not best practices, then let’s not do it. But let’s not lead people on. Let’s not lead them on and tell them that they’re going to get something that they’re not going to get.”
He also pushed back hard against any suggestion that Washington’s program—and its players—should bear the burden of a policy dispute that was never raised for similar payments to other schools.
“We’re not going to make Washington High School some young African American young ladies the guinea pig of where we’re not going to pay when we paid the other ones,” May said. “That is the only thing I ask—just give us an opinion. If it’s wrong, let’s cut it out.”
Commissioner Barry Calls for Resolution
Commissioner Barry sided with his colleagues.
- “It was never an issue until it was,” Barry said. “So I think we do need some resolution.”
Amen.
