Kathy Taft Assault: Greenville, NC School Board Member Dies

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Kathy Taft

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Longtime North Carolina School Board member, Kathy Taft died this morning after being assaulted over the weekend.

According to a statement from her family released by WakeMed Hospital, 62-year-old Taft was attacked on Saturday, March 6 while she was staying at her boyfriend's home in Raliegh, NC while he was in Florida.

Taft, who has been on the North Carolina state Board  of Educationsince 1995, was married to former state senator, Tom Taft, also from Greenville. She was  reappointed to the position which she would maintain through March 2011.

Because Taft passed away because of injuries she sustained in Saturday's attack, Raliegh Police Spokesperson Jim Sughrue confirmed officers will be investigating the case as a homicide.

Bill Harrison, State Board of Education Chairman, released a statement saying,

"I am greatly saddened to hear the news that long-time State Board of Education member and friend Kathy Taft passed away today. Ms. Taft has been an instrumental member of the State Board of Education for 15 yearsand a stalwart supporter of the 1.5 million public school students inour state. Ms. Taft's service to the Board and to the citizens of North Carolina has included many important milestones such as the state's initial accountability model for schools, the development of charter schools and current efforts to ensure that our state prepares students for the 21st century. Our Board and our state are diminished by the untimely death of this dedicated citizen."