Editor’s Note: I have adopted a new saying to describe my old ways. “There are NO statutes of limitation on the telling the truth!!! Or, doing what is right!!”… Same with this article!! Others in Cleveland County government should give that a try.
School Board Member Richard Hooker has been on the so-called “merged” school board since the original merger twenty years ago. For everything promised by the contentious merger that has gone wrong, you can lay the blame at Richard Hooker’s feet. Richard Hooker is running for re-election this year and deserves to be defeated.
Richard Hookers legacy on the School Board is “diversity” and cover-up. His most recent cover-up is the frivolous lawsuit the School Board filed against Sheriff Alan Norman. Hooker’s more egregious cover-ups are the many sex scandals involving children at CCS that were not reported to law enforcement, but the perpetrator was allowed to “resign” and go to some other school district and continue. Sometimes Richard Hooker went along with covering up sex offenses against children even when law enforcement, the Shelby Police Department, was notified and went along with the cover-up.
Richard Hooker’s public vocation (job) is a Bail Bondsman. He helps bail alleged lawbreakers out of jail for 10% to 15% of the bond that is set by a judge. Richard Hooker helps a lot of people back on the streets pending trial. Some are guilty and perhaps some are innocent. It is likely that some of those that Richard Hooker helps put back on the streets re-offend while back on the street.
Going on four years ago a Cleveland County Schools employee, Ron Burns, of the Moss Lake areas was arrested and jailed for multiple charges of multiple child sex crimes against children, girls, as young as seven. Richie Canipe, a local children’s advocate and political activist, on his Facebook page recently reminded us of the Ron Burns case and how Ron Burns skipped his court date and has been on the run ever since. Thanks Richie. The first two links below are involving the Ron Burns case and the third link is an earlier editorial from the Shelby Star about Teachers having sex with students.
But what was NOT written in any of those Shelby Star articles was that long-time School Board member Richard Hooker was a part of the coalition of bail bondsmen who put up the bail bond that allowed Ron Burns to escape justice. Perhaps YOU should ask the Shelby Star why that was not a part of their news reporting. In this case the Sheriff’s Department under Sheriff Alan Norman did his job in investigating the case, bringing charges and jailing Ron Burns. The Judge did his part in setting a very High bond in order to keep Burns in jail pending trial. I suppose the several Bail Bondsmen, including Richard Hooker did their jobs in getting Ron Burns released on bond. Maybe even the Bondsmen are themselves remorseful since Burns skipped out of his court date caused them to lose their bond money.
But, what does the community and voters, think about a school board member like Richard Hooker, running for re-election, taking part in releasing an alleged child molester who was a CCS employee at the time? An obvious example of poor on the job judgement that has already cost Bail Bondsman Richard Hooker dearly when Ron Burns skipped town.
As for me, School Board Member Richard Hooker has already made so many clear examples of bad judgements on the School Board-from $millions in Waste to sex crime cover-ups, that one more arrogant mistake doesn’t make any difference. Maybe it was just a dose of Karma or déjà vu catching up to Richard on his public enterprise as a Bail Bondsman. My vote will be to remove Richard Hooker (and Roger Harris and Shearra Miller) from the School Board to give them plenty of time to spend on doing their own business. Richard’s (Harris and Miller’s too) “business” on the School Board needs to end in defeat in the 2020 Elections. Or sooner, by resignation, if Richard and crew gets smart enough to listen to their own advisors.
Read about his case here, here and here.
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