I published an article on July 27, 2017 regarding a confidential report that Cleveland County School Board Chairman Phillip “Bully” Glover’s wife Holly was alleged to be using CCS email facilities to solicit people to put yard signs endorsing Bully Glover for the School Board in their yards-a political activity that is probably illegal of certainly against policy. I immediately sent out to CCS a Public Records request under NC Public Records law inspect ALL of Holly Glover and Phillip Glover’s emails records (sent and received) for the past three months. I specifically requested to inspect all of those email records as I (and every citizen) are allowed by law to do at no cost. The exact wording of my request for information is as follows:
“CCS, Under the Freedom of information Act as well as NC public Records laws I am requesting the opportunity to inspect and perhaps make copies of all of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Glover’s emails sent and received through CCS Internet email accounts for the past three months.”
Next thing (actually the same day) CCS Superintendent Dr. Stephen Fisher replies to my email by saying he had searched the CCS email system records which showed Holly Glover had not sent or received any email over the past three months. Fisher also sent me a copy of two “search” screens that showed no emails were sent or received by Holly Glover over that time frame.
Only thing is, Fisher did not respond to what I had asked for. His search screen records clearly showed “search terms” that said “Political Signs.” Not “Phillip Glover for School Board Yard Signs” or anything of that nature. Fisher just totally ignored my request for Bully Glover’s email records.
Also remember that I did not specifically request a CCS investigation. All I asked for was an opportunity to inspect public documents. There is a big difference. It is called a cover-up. This is how Cleveland County Schools and also apparently the Cleveland Community College does their so called investigations. I believe I have ample and good reasons not to trust a word from either CCS or CCC regarding their investigations unless I can see for myself the records and documents that are used in the investigation as well as interview all concerned. But there is more.
At this point I am certain that the Glover’s CCS email records have been “sanitized” by something along these lines. Search for their emails, delete anything incriminating and then search again, knowing that nothing will show on that second search. Print out the search screen that shows nothing and “crow” about how nothing out of the order was found-everything is OK.
And Crow they did. I just received another report from a trusted source that stated “Someone close to CCS Board and CCC Trustees is spreading the word that Dr. Fisher has conducted an internal investigation and found no issues with Ms. Glover’s email.”
So, now folks, you have the truth of it. You also can see why I don’t trust either CCS of CCC unless I can independently verify what is the truth of the matter actually is. I could claim “trust, but verify” is an idea that I came up with, but that concept and phrase has been around for a very very long time. It just seems us folks in Cleveland County have to learn that lesson over and over again. It is probably too late to actually find any email records of Holly Glover asking for political favors, as alleged, over the CCS taxpayer paid for internet system. But it is not too late to start cleaning up the mess at CCS by electing Danny Blanton, Robert Queen, Kevin Whisnant and Rodney Fitch to the School Board on November 7, 2017.
