Necessary Actions on issues 1-4:
The CCC Board of Trustees must:
Take swift and decisive action to immediately remove President Steve Thornburg from his position at CCC.
An interim President must be appointed immediately.
That interim President must not be Shannon Kennedy
Kennedy’s performance and responsibility must be investigated and evaluated for possible disciplinary actions, or promotion if warranted.
Consider that Shannon Kennedy has no basis for a sexual harassment lawsuit as she and her career have only been benefited, although perhaps wrongly, by the actions of President Thornburg.
HR needs investigation regarding Kennedy’s promotions.
5. Cleveland Community College’s College level courses were “dumbed down” for those Cleveland Community College credit courses taught at various Cleveland County High Schools under the Dual Enrollment Program, now called the Career and College Promise (CCP) program. (One has to wonder about the Early College Program too.) Instructors who questioned this dumbing down of course work that is supposed to be college level were fired or ultimately removed (Contracts not renewed, etc.). Also, high school student required grade point average requirements were often not met. High School Students enrolled in alleged dumbed-down CCP courses, as well as their parents, may later incur significant student load debt when they go to “real” colleges, are unprepared and flunk out. It has been reported that s much as 30% of CCC revenue comes from these CCP programs. President Thornburg’s role here is minimized here as he has turned such operations over to Shannon Kennedy and Kennedy’s various Deans and other staff who are willing or are intimidated and bullied into doing unethical stuff.
Necessary Actions on issue 5:
Shannon Kennedy should definitely be fired if any of these allegations are only partly true.
Others involved should be investigated and appropriate disciplinary actions taken.
Cleveland County Schools have to be a part of this conspiracy. All School Board appointed Trustees should immediately resign. A simple recusal by a board member on such a vote is not sufficient.
The CCS Board of Education must investigate this issue and take appropriate disciplinary action within CCS. Something they have not done. Something they have not even discussed during all these scandals. An obvious ploy by the school board to let CCC take all the heat on this scandal as well as to avoid the issue during an election year for the CCS school board.
The Community College Board of Trustees must require that all dual enrollment classes are discontinued immediately until further notice and for as long as it takes until Cleveland County Schools provide evidence that all students that submit applications to enroll in CCP meet all requirements. No exceptions.
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