All Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees are Dishonest and Un-Trustworthy and apparently Proud of it!!! Proof by Robert A. Williams

Readers, First of all consider yourself on a jury and EVERY CCC Board of Trustee member is on trial and charged with being dishonest and untrustworthy as I have stated in the title of this article. Each reader is the Jury Forman. You are to consider the BoTs innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The BoTs have the right to remain silent and always do remain silent. And my job as the prosecuting attorney in this article is to prove them dishonest and untrustworthy beyond a reasonable doubt using only North Carolina law, eye witness testimony, facts and evidence that are public documents and public records that everyone has the right to see. Stay tuned folks, this won’t take long.

Ladies and Gentleman of the Jury, this case is simple. The Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees are required by North Carolina Law with the running and operating the Cleveland Community College in accordance with North Carolina Law and the Policies the Board of Trustees pass to carry out that running and operation of the college. The BoTs are required by North Carolina Law to hire and supervise a President of the college who will carry out NC Law and Board Policies that adhere in all ways with law and policies.

The First order of business for the CCC Board of Trustees is to conduct regular Board 0f Trustee business meetings, open to the public, and in accordance with North Carolina Law. The BoTs are responsible to keep fair and accurate records, called “Minutes” of these meetings that fairly and accurately describe EXACTLY what happened in these BoT business meetings. Not necessarily verbatim records, but fair and accurate descriptions nonetheless. These Meeting Minutes are drafted up, reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees and, when approved, become legally recognized historical record documents that describe what happened in that BoT business meeting.

Further, Ladies and Gentleman of the Jury, I will introduce as proof of the charges of dishonesty and untrustworthiness of ALL BoTs the official minutes of the November 14, 2017 CCC BoT Business Meeting that was unanimously approved by the CCC BoTs at their January 9, 2018 Business Meeting even though full of obvious inaccuracies. So many inaccuracies that it had to be a planned scheme, a conspiracy, to issue so many inaccuracies that were unanimously approved by the BoTs and has now become an official record. Also, it must be stipulated that an inaccurate record is the same as a false record. And a false record is a dishonest record which is an illegal record. It goes on and on. And since all the BoTs joined together, conspired, in approving a false, dishonest and illegal record; they are basically criminals as conspiracy is a felony crime.

The proof is this:
1. In the November 14, 2017 minutes that were approved unanimously, under the Public Comment Section there were seven public speakers. There were four entries regarding voicing “concerns” where the actual concerns noted were not described at all in the minutes. This is despite a previous number of complaints made directly to the CCC Board of Trustees in writing as well as one speaker, Mrs. Brendan LeGrand, directly addressing this same issue at this same meeting where she requested that more information be added to the minutes, citing transparency and accuracy being very important historical factors (as well as legally required in meeting minutes). It is also important to note that Dr. B. J. Zamora questioned the Presidential Search Process in the November 2017 meeting and the BoTs are moving full speed ahead without taking any heed to address Dr. Zamora’s questions. Or, for that matter, anybody’s concerns or questions.

2. The Election of the BoT Vice-Chairman: The minutes state that Wayne King was nominated by the nominating committee for Vice-chairman. The minutes go on to say “Coming from the Committee, no second is required.” This is a misleading statement as per Robert’s Rules of Order a second is not required for any such nomination. Also, after Mr. King is nominated Allen Langley submits a motion to close the nominations and elect the nominee by acclamation. Incorrectly the vote was held to elect Wayne King as Vice Chairman when the proper and required parliamentary action was to first vote on Langley’s motion to close the nominations. This was never done and lays the board open to legal actions for not properly conducting business, although this would never occur unless Wayne King is ever called upon to Chair a meeting. The BoTs were notified of this error yet took no action in the January 9, 2018 meeting to correct their mistake. Therefore, the BoTs, when notified of a probable honest mistake, make it an intentional dishonest mistake by not correcting the mistake at the first opportunity.

The minutes went on to say that “Mr. Wayne King was elected as Vice-Chairman by the majority, with one nay.” This is a terrible historical record mistake as the Board of Trustee who voted “nay” (Mrs. Betty Carrigan) was never identified in the minutes. Such historical records as official minutes of meetings for governmental agencies should always be clear and correct in identifying the voting record for any action and all actions taken in the meeting. Especially on who voted for or against what and any discussion regarding that vote.

3. Under the “Approval of Minutes” section of the November 17, 2017 CCC BoT meeting minutes it was stated:
Chairman Westmoreland called for a motion to approve the minutes from the
October 17, 2017 meeting. Allen Langley made the motion to accept the
minutes with the following additions or corrections: Adding that “Brendan
LeGrand spoke to the Board of Trustees during the Public Comments section
on October 17, 2017. Ms. LeGrand stated her concerns were regarding certain
management practices at Cleveland Community College. She reiterated her
comments regarding full disclosure about recent events at the College. The
Board took the comments under advisement. In turn, Dale Guffey, instructor at
Cleveland Community College, addressed the Board. She informed the Board
that she was making a presentation at the state-wide meeting in South
Carolina. While Dr. Guffey’s presentation was centered around Developmental
Education, she anticipated being asked about the current situation at CCC.
Without full disclosure, it would be difficult to inform the group that we are
moving toward change.” Mr. Langley recommended this amendment be added
to the minutes, as the public is concerned. It was his hope that the Board would
consider adding this to the minutes and then moving forward, continue with the
addition of information under the public comments section. Larry Hamrick, Jr.
seconded, and the amended minutes were approved.

This section was full of mistakes, omissions and Board Directions that were not followed in drafting subsequent meeting minutes.

In particular:
Ms. LeGrand stated her concerns were regarding certain management practices at Cleveland Community College. She reiterated her comments regarding full disclosure about recent events at the College. The “certain management practices” were never described in the minutes. Neither were the comments that Mrs. LeGrand reiterated.

The Board took the comments under advisement. No record or minutes of any meeting shows the Board took anything under advisement regarding Mrs. LeGrand’s comments or concerns.

Dr. Dale Guffey stated “Without full disclosure, it would be difficult to inform the group that we are moving toward change.” Then the minutes stated ” Mr. Langley recommended this amendment be added to the minutes, as the public is concerned. It was his hope that the Board would consider adding this to the minutes and then moving forward, continue with the addition of information under the public comments section. Larry Hamrick, Jr. seconded, and the amended minutes were approved.

And these items were selected (from many )for their simplicity and ease of understanding.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, the BoTs voted to approve Mr. Langley’s “hopes” that the Board would “consider” the notion that the Board would move forward with minutes that conform to North Carolina law that official Board Minutes fairly and accurately describe what transpires in CCC BoT meetings? That they will consider obeying the law, yet at their very first meeting afterwards they fall illegally short of following the law as described in detail above?

The law doesn’t work that way. The law requires that every CCC BoT meeting be fairly and accurately recorded to describe what actually transpired during the meeting. Then, when approved, the documents (minutes) become legal and historical records as well as public records. We have just noted several examples of simple mistakes that are continued mistakes in record keeping that has been well identified to the BoT on numerous occasions. Yet the BoT continuously refuses to obey the law that simply states that CCC Board Minutes fairly and accurately describe what transpired in BoT meetings.

The pattern is clear. The BoT continues to refuse to uphold their sworn duty to obey and uphold the law. If the BoT refuses to obey the law on the most simple of things such as keeping fair and accurate records, how can they be trusted to conduct any other business within the confines of the law and ethical behavior?

Not only that, the CCC BoT continues to refuse to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States. This can be shown by the January 9, 2018 meeting agenda that does not include the Pledge. How can any CCC BoT member continue to hold their meetings without saying the Pledge that every other governmental agency in Cleveland County uses at the start of their meetings to show respect of out Country and the laws thereof.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, the evidence is overwhelming. Every BoT member, by their actions or in-actions alone are guilty of being dishonest and untrustworthy. Please adjourn to the Jury Room and cast you vote as “guilty as charged” or Not Guilty.

All BoT members are invited to tell their side of the story in the comments section at the end of this article.

Folks, I hope you found this exercise helpful in understanding what is going on at CCC and why problems are not being solved. Only covered up–of which phony and dishonest meeting minutes are a part.. The Cleveland County Board of Trustees are legally required to provide top level leadership at CCC and to ensure that laws and policies are being strictly followed. Yet every scandal at CCC can be traced to a Board of individual Trustees that have failed to do their individual jobs.

Also, stay tuned for articles that describe other things that transpired at the January 9, 2018 CCC BoT meeting. This article was just a drill. You ain’t heard nothing yet.

In the meantime, you might consider calling the Governor, the CCS School Board and the County Commissioners to complain about the dishonest and untrustworthy Board of Trustee members that they have appointed to the CCC Board of Trustees. Perhaps they should recall them all. JMO.