Lawsuit AGAINST Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees Causes Special Emergency BoT Meeting–Tomorrow at 1:00PM!!!!!! AND a Special Personnel Matter!!! Jail Time for CCC Board of Trustees??? Report and Arguendo by Robert A. Williams
Yesterday I received a NOTICE that Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees Chairman Rev. Dr. Lamont Littlejohn was calling for a Special (Emergency) BoT Meeting to be held at 1:00 PM At the CCC Board Room on Friday January 10, 2020. The attached Agenda for that meeting is attached below. I smelt a rat. Then, today, I received another notice that the regular scheduled CCC BoT Meeting was Tuesday, Jan 14, 2020. I knew I was smelling a very BIG RAT. Why would Rev. Littlejohn call an emergency meeting just a few days before a regularly scheduled BoT meeting???
Then, I closely inspected the fine print on the emergency meeting agenda (Shown below.) Something I always do, but especially THIS agenda for an emergency meeting. Something big had happened or was about to happen was my first thought.
And, there it was. The agenda called for an Executive Committee Update. Usually nothing to call an emergency meeting for. Next was an item titled Legal Update. Again, nothing to call for an emergency meeting for. Then, under Closed Session, the biggee popped up. A lawsuit against the CCC Board of Trustees filed by a former teacher, Ginger Bullock, was listed along with a “Personnel Matter.” It was apparent to me that THIS ITEM was the reason for the EMERGENCY MEETING.
I am well familiar with the allegation of Ginger Bullock’s lawsuit as I had attended several CCC Board Meetings when former CCC Teacher Ginger Bullock and others spoke up about complaints they had with CCC. The Board of Trustees refused to do anything,
However, two complaints, Included Ginger’s resulted in Lawsuits against the Board of Trustees. The other case, filed in Federal Court by Wanda Leonard, alleged age discrimination. Wanda had founded a course at CCC to train emergency room and major surgery nurses. Wanda was a tough teacher, as required in a career in properly handling patients in immediate and life-threatening circumstance. Jobs in this career required State Licenses only given to graduating students after extensive testing. In Wanda’s classes, 100% of her graduating students passed their State Board Testing. But Wanda was in a Senior position and CCC decided to get rid of Wanda and hire junior teachers who would work at much less pay. So, CCC Administrators interrupted one of Wanda’s Classes, sent the students somewhere else, fired Wanda on the spot, had her personal belongings packed in cardboard boxes in short order and had her off campus within the hour.
So, Wanda sued the CCC BoTs and the case was almost before a jury. Then, CCC had their attorneys file a Motion to Dismiss stating that, yes, Wanda was a good teacher and all her graduating students passed their State Boards, but Wanda was allegedly also required to meet “retention” goals that she did not meet. “Retention” in this context meant passing students that were not able to pass the State Board testing-or Wanda’s tests, so they wouldn’t drop out of class. Or flunk out because they were not capable of passing. A foolish Federal Judge, the same judge who overturned North Carolina’s law against gay-marriage dismissed the case.
At this point I am not sure whether or not Wanda filed an appeal or a Rule 60 Motion to set aside an erroneous ruling, I will check upon that. But, in the meantime, at the very next CCC Board of Trustee meeting several Board members jumped on me for supporting Wanda Leonard, saying gleefully that “We Won.” This proves we did nothing wrong. My response after reading the ruling was “you didn’t win anything. Wanda was not able to get her case before a jury.”
Now, why did I bring that back up here? The answer is simple. If the CCC Board of Trustees think that getting a foolish judge to dismiss a case and call that a WIN! That they didn’t do anything wrong. That what they did was RIGHT?? Then, if they lose a case, should they be held accountable for doing something WRONG. And RESIGN immediately after they fire those responsible?
Now, let’s examine the Ginger Bullock Case under that same criteria.
Ginger Bullock was also a Teacher at CCC who was assigned to teach dual enrollment classes. Dual enrollment classes were so-called college level classes taught at Cleveland County Schools-High Schools. These kinds of classes brought in extra money for both CCS and CCC. So, more and more CCS high schools were pushing more and more high school student into these classes. As a money maker for both CCC and CCS. B9ut bringing in more and more students also res9ulted in more and more of the students who were not advanced enough to handle college level courses. So CCC and CCS conspired to “dumb-down” the college level courses so more unqualified students would pass.
Ginger soon realized what was going on and complained that dumbed-down classes were actually hurting the students who would later be enrolled in real (and expensive) colleges and would soon flunk out. Ginger’s complaints were ignored and Ginger was terminated from CCC. When Ginger complained during CCC Board Meetings, she was again ignored.
Now, Ginger’s lawsuit is ready for a jury trial. And NOW, the CCS BoTs are calling for an emergency meeting. Which can mean only one thing. The BoTs have or will lose the case and Ginger will be the winner. By their own standard, “if we win the lawsuit, de didn’t do anything wrong” become “we lost the case so we m9ust have done something wrong.”
Now, the second item of the emergency special BOT meeting- a Personnel Matter” set for TOMORROW must mean the BoT’s are going to fire those that fired Ginger Bullock and then resign themselves.
But folks, don’t believe me. A copy of Ginger Bullock’s lawsuit is also attached. Read it for yourselves and vote on Election Day to rid Cleveland County of the crooked commissioners too.
If there is any Justice in this world, that is exactly what is about to happen to the CCC BoTs. And, if the guilty BoT Members refuse to resign, the Cleveland County Commissioners should fire them and replace them immediately with people that have some sense.
Also note, that incredibly, it appears it is NOT a crime to deny Cleveland County students a good and proper education. So, the BoTs will not likely go to jail in Shelby for their heinous crimes. Maybe Tim Moore, Kelly Hastings and Ted Alexander will do a good deed and pass some