The second regularly scheduled Cleveland County School Board was held Monday evening, January 11, 2021. There was a special “called” school board meeting last Thursday, January 7th. Three meetings in a row started by a Christian Prayer as well as a New School Board Majority that favors displaying the Ten Commandments in schools. Hallelujah!!! I say. In my book, CCS’s NEW School Board Majority is off to a good start!!! And I told them so. I called them “Prayer Friendly.” Hopefully Cleveland County Christian Ministers will continue to do their part.

Before the meting business even started good, Chairman Robert Queen and Parliamentarian Ron Humphries were led to make official statements about silly complaints that were made against them. By trouble-making school board member Phillip “Poodle” Glover and his sycophants (pronounced psycho-fants) would be my speculation.

1. Chairman Queen stated that complaints had been made about him not wearing a mask during the school board meetings as “required” by the Governor. Chairman Queen gave chapter and verse of the Governor’s Executive Order, which made exceptions for those conducting meetings. Queen said he wore a mask coming ang going from his seat as the School Board Chairman.

2. Parliamentarian Ron Humphries stated that complaints were made that he had not properly adhered to Robert’s Rules of Order when he ruled Poodle’s motion to make a substitute motion Out of Order at the first school board meeting with the New School Board Members sworn in. (Note that Robert’s Rules of Order allows motions to over-rule a Parliamentarian’s ruling, but Poodle or any of his cohorts make such a motion-that would have failed anyway.

I was disgusted that such frivolous complaints were even made in the first place. I was also disgusted that meeting time needed to be wasted on such frivolous and trivial matters. Especially when those making the complaints are just trying to disrupt the orderly process of running a meeting and discussing serious issues needed to be held. But Poodle’s attempted meeting disruptions had just begun.

The first order of business for this second regularly scheduled meeting was Public Participation. Nineteen had signed up. I was Number 5.

North Carolina Law stipulates that at least 15 minutes has to be allowed for public participation and each speaker allowed 3 minutes. The law recommends those that those that are speaking on the same thing to elect one speaker to provide their message. Chairman Queen quoted the law, and the fact that 19 speakers could take 57 minutes, to the board. Danny Blanton mate the motion to let everybody speak their piece. The motion was approved 9-0.

Most of the 19 speakers were school teachers who did not want to go back to work due to COVID (but still receive their pay). One teacher produced a letter from a fourth grader that urged the School Board to keep the schools closed down. One teacher stated she resented being called lazy, a rogue and a renegade. One speaker, a female Doctor, ran over so long that Chairman Queen had to gavel her down. One teacher was verbally abusive to the NEW School Board Majority, calling them various names and condemning the Ten Commandments as “Not the answer.” Another Doctor predicted that there was a 97% probability that at least ONE person in this very school board meeting room was infected with COVID.

As for me, I asked the school board to disregard what I had written on the Public Participation signup sheet as the subject of my presentation (which was about new gym floors and bleachers at Burns and Crest High Schools) had changed. As of right NOW I wanted to talk about all the false narratives aimed at the NEW School Board Majority. I suggested to the Board that it was a waste of time to address the false and frivolous complaints as previously noted. I reminded the NEW School Board Majority that the overwhelming vote of the people in the School Board election had given them a strong mandate to make necessary changes at Cleveland County Schools and recommended them to proceed full speed ahead in hiring a new lawyer. I told them they were doing a good job and to keep up the good work. Speaker Marge Hooper advised the school board to get going with restarting schools as did another speaker.

Speaker Suzan Parris, mother of an autistic child that was assaulted by a teacher and seriously injured, gave an impassioned plea to the NEW School Board to initiate an investigation into her son’s being assaulted and injured at school and require that the CCS school board to promulgate the proper policies that would prevent what happened to her son to not happen to another child. A totally reasonable demand!

Speaker Dennis Bailey, former Shelby City Council Member and Air Force Master Sargent and presently the President of the Cleveland County Republican Party, but speaking as an individual in his personal capacity, gave a forceful description of “Leadership” as it applied to the School Board. In NO uncertain terms, Bailey reminded the NEW School Board Majority (as I did) that they had received an overwhelming election victory, that was in effect a mandate from the people, to take a leadership position over CCS, get their leadership team in place and get down to the job of running Cleveland County Schools the way the citizens that voted them into office wanted it ran. Bailey did not spare any feelings when he clearly stated to the NEW School Board Majority that the DISRESPECT shown to the Board, the attempted MUTINY, the old board members not supporting Board approvals, the unpunished violations of School Board policy (allowed by Superintendent Stephen Fisher) was a clear FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP!!! Among other things. If you watch the video, the person clapping in appreciation of Dennis Bailey’s presentation is me.

In the business portion of the meeting, the issue of new flooring and bleachers for the Burns and Crest High School gymnasiums was approved. As I changed the topic of my Public Participation comments, I did not have the opportunity to speak about this item. So, I will do so now.

Burns and Crest High Schools are over 50 years old. There are no specific “Strategic Plans” at CCS for new school construction or even modernization. For any school. The overall rehab of Burns and Crest High School gymnasiums began with the floor and bleacher replacement. Then somebody says the flooring installer said “without humidity control in the gym, the flooring warranty would be voided.” So, the OLD School Board approved $600,000+ for gym air conditioning. Apparently thinking that throwing such a “bone” at “county” voters would help them win the election. Which it didn’t.

Now it appears that the OLD Board had put the cart before the horse. Done things backwards without thinking. They approved the money for the air conditioning before choosing the vendor for the floor and bleachers. And knowing that CCS does not know how to properly specify lawyers, much less equipment and parts so they match, the NEW School Board Majority is left with deciding which flooring to buy.

My suggestion would have been for the NEW School Board Majority, and their Operations Committee to hold off on the flooring purchase (and the HVAC if possible) in order to ensure the Air Conditioning equipment the OLD Board bought has adequate humidity control features to match the requirements of the new flooring. And to think just how much longer they are going to “operate” the already “old” Burns and Crest High Schools. This would be a common-sense thing to do, especially knowing how wasteful and foolish and even incompetent the OLD School Board was.

Anyway, the NEW School Board Majority voted to approve a flooring and bleacher proposal for over $400,000. I am crossing my fingers and hoping everything goes well for this project. But as an Engineer, I always do much more than cross my fingers and hope my bridges don’t collapse when the first car comes by. Or my dams wash away after the first rainstorm. And, you can bet that if anything goes wrong on this project, NOBODY will want to hear any excuses from the New School Board about being distracted by a bunch of lazy rogue teachers and a Renegade Poodle.

But, hey folks, this meeting ain’t over yet. The COVID Update is next.

After Superintendent Fisher reports (Nobody from the Health Department was present.) 175 staff COVID quarantines. And then conveniently forgets to mention, that due to the Holidays with all schools shut-down tight, that these quarantines were NOT related to any COVID transmission at school. Vice Chair Joel Shores makes a motion for the CCS Communication Officer to develop a survey form for all teachers and parents for Pre-K-12. This motion passes 7-2.

Not to be out done, Poodle makes a motion to form a COVID Committee with a limit of 12 members to study COVID and figure out what to do. That Motion passed 9-0. After the meeting ended, various board members huddled around Chairman Queen to figure out who would be on this committee. If I were School Board Chairman Robert Queen, I would appoint Phillip “Poodle” Glover to Chair that committee and report back by the end of the week.

But Poodle wasn’t through with his frivolous motions. Apparently encouraged that he finally got a motion passed, Poodle makes another motion to cancel plans to restart school K-5 on February 8th. Apparently, everybody knew Poodle was going to do this. I even muttered out loud, “I knew that was going to happen!” Poodle should have left it alone. (Just like the frivolous lawsuit against Sheriff Alan Norman should have been left alone.) Poodle’s motion goes down in flames by a 5-4 vote.

Stay tuned folks, I am sure more is coming. Much more. And soon!!

First, some terms:

The Holy Bible: The most widely printed book on planet Earth. The Bible contains two sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The “Old” Testament contains the Ten Commandments and other information prior to the Birth of Jesus Christ. The Second Testament contains the Birth and teachings of Jesus Christ. The Founding Fathers of the United States of America relied heavily on the teachings of the Bible in formulating the Declaration of Independence and the USA Constitution as well as Federal, State and Local laws. The Bible has, in recent time, come under attack by adherence of other religions (often called “infidels” by some) which includes Islam. Satanism, Devil Worshipers, Wicca, Paganism, Atheism and such.

Devil Worshiper, Satanist, Wiccan: In particular, these adherents’ tend to say that “what they do is OK as long as it does not hurt anyone else. The Wiccans put it like this, “an it hurt none, do as you will.” This is usually what you hear as an excuse for abortion, drug and alcohol use and promiscuity. All which certainly hurt the person and especially the unborn person in an objective analysis. The Devil, sometimes called Satan, is often described as the “great deceiver.”

Freedom From Religion: is the term for some who hate Biblical Teachings, especially the Ten Commandments and any other Biblical rules of moral behavior as taught by Jesus. They want to prevent such from being taught in Public Schools or Displayed on Government Property.

Now for the rest of this article.

In the past weeks since the December 14, 2020 School Board meeting, the Shelby Star, some renegade and rogue school board members (Phillip “Poodle” Glover, Dena Green, Coleman Hunt and RINO Greg Taylor and some renegade and rogue teachers and others have contributed to:

1. A Star article critical of the board majority firing the law firm that filed a frivolous lawsuit against Sheriff Alan Norman for $3 Million.
2. A Star article critical of the board majority wanting to start back full-time schooling for grades K-4.
3. A Star article critical of the board majority wanting to post the Ten Commandments, along with other historical documents near the front entrance at CCS Schools. Dena Green, especially Dena Green, was prominent in the Star Article’s criticism of the New School Board majority decision, although I personally believe Poodle put her up to it.

“Old” school board members “Poodle” Glover and Dena Green were prominent in one or more of those articles critical of the Board’s approved positions. A violation of School Board Policy and ethical standards. Poodle Glover, Dena Greed, Coleman Hunt, Jo Boggs, Jeff Jones, Shearra Miller, Roger Harris, Richard Hooker and numerous teachers were also listed as signers of a Facebook petition demanding that CCS NOT open schools according to the School Board approved schedule. It is my personal opinion and belief that rogues and renegades are working together to run down the NEW School Board Majority-Newly elected Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries and Rodney Fitch, along with Danny Blanton for their own personal reasons. Corruption most likely.

I say all of that to say this. The CCS related rogues and the renegades have moved their planned schemes and attacks to a new and evil level. They have enlisted the support of Devil Worshipping, Bible hating Satanists. I am also saying DO NOT BELIEVE A WORD I AM ABOUT TO SAY. READ FOR YOURSELF THE EVIDENCE I HAVE ATTACHED.

The Shelby Star Article #3 listed above was published January 6, 2021. By 4:28 PM that very next day, January 7th the Freedom From Religion Foundations had issued a notice to the Cleveland County School Board’s Attorney of Record, Colin Shive, of the Raleigh Law Firm Tharrington and Smith that FFRF intended to sue CCS if they displayed the Ten Commandments. Colin Shive and T&S are the very same attorney and law firm that the School Board approved to be given notice (Fired) according to the 90-day notice clause in their contract because of the frivolous lawsuit against Sheriff Alan Norman. The FFRF “Notice” to Attorney Shive also notes the FACT that FFRF has previously worked together with Shive and T&S on some undisclosed legal matters. Which should constitute a conflict of interest between CCS and Shive/T&S.

It does NOT take a Rocket Scientist to conclude the timing of the Star article #3 noted above, critical of the Ten Commandments, was the trigger mechanism in a planned scheme to cause problems for the Cleveland County School Board and the citizens of Cleveland County. Such a conclusion would also be reinforced by the fact that the Freedom From Religion Foundation is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Another reinforcement is the fact that the FFRP Notice to Attorney Shive actually references the January 6th Star article. It would take a downright certified “nit-wit” to believe that a bunch of Devil Worshipers in Madison, Wisconsin are sitting back reading the Shelby Star for leads in filing lawsuits against Cleveland County and the Ten Commandments.

But, folks. Once again don’t believe a word I have said in this article. Read for yourself the Shelby Star Article, The FFRF Press Release and the Notice to Cleveland County’s Attorney Colin Shive. Then, show up at the School Board Meeting Monday January 11, 2021 and join the effort to (rhetorically) ride Poodle Glover, Dena Green, Coleman Hunt and Greg Taylor off the premises on a rail. Along with Supt. Stephen Fisher and a few others.

It is also expected that the NEW School Board Majority will terminate legal Representation from Tharrington & Smith and Colin Shive IMMEDIATELY!

Shelby Star-Board to discuss Ten Commandments in schools

Letter from FFRF to Colin Shive-Ten Commandments

The Republican Women of Cleveland County (WRCC-pronounced We-rock) sent a busload of WeRCC Members (Note that I, as a man, am an associate member of WRCC and did NOT go to the event. But, looking back-as a potential eye witness-wish I had.) to the January 6th, 2021 event on the White House lawn and around the other public buildings in Washington, DC. Also note that the right of freedom of speech and the right to assemble are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

On that bright and sunny day in Washington, DC all Hell broke loose on the major Fake News networks across NC and the USA accusing the WRCC women and 2 million other Trump supporters of being hooligans, rioters, traitors and a danger to democracy. But, knowing how FAKE News operates, I decided to wait until the WRCC women got home and told their story before I formed my opinion on the matter.

My opportunity arrived the very next evening at the January 7th, 2021 Special Called School Board meeting when several WRCC women attended that School Board Meeting.

This is what I was told by eye witnesses that were that and that I KNOW are NOT hooligans, rioters, traitors and a threat to democracy.

1. There were 2 million Trump supporters who attended the event.
2. Only a very few of that number actually breached the Capitol Building.
3. NO WRCC member entered the Capitol Building.
4. Antifa and Black Lives Matter members had purposely infiltrated the large group by wearing Trump MAGA hats, Trump banners and other Trump supporter type clothing and equipment-Stickers and such. Or, they were dresses as Policemen. And they were white. One WRCC member told me that she had seen one of the infiltrators carrying a baseball bat.
5. At a critical, planned and coordinated moment, the Antifa and BLM infiltrators rushed ahead and stormed the Capital Building.

Also, in other discussions, it was obvious that some infiltrators had armed themselves with movie camera or telephone cameras in strategic locations to record the areas that were attacked and then leak the videos to the Fake News. Some speculation was that some of the recordings by the Fake News had to have been recorded by Fake News operatives who were in on the attack plan. One widely shown video showed a Capitol Policeman who seemed to be running away to escape from some attackers. But, it was obvious from the angle that the video equipment was operated by someone who was running (backwards) ahead of the Policeman and the protesters, knowing ahead of time which way the Policeman would be running and staying ahead of the Policeman (or fake news policeman) in his circuitous route that was played up as escape.

I don’t know about you Folks, But I think America has “been had” by a contrived act of violence and sabotage by the Fake Hews and Democrat Party leaders in league with Antifa and BLM. Therefore, I am offering a $100 Reward to the first person that can show me verified evidence to prove to me that the FAKE NEWS is correct about this event on January 6th 2021. I will have to also say that I have offered Rewards on many other occasions and have never had to pay out one red cent.

All official meetings of public bodies in North Carolina are open to the public-NC General Stature 143-318.9

North Carolina laws are very strict about meetings held by governmental “bodies.” Including School Board, County Commissioner and Cleveland Community College Board of Trustee meetings. These laws are strict in order to make sure the public has access to those meetings in order to guarantee that corruption is minimized. I attend all these meetings and I see and hear what goes on. Much of the time I am the only member of the public that is present and paying attention. Recently attendance at Cleveland County School Board meetings by citizens has picked up dramatically. Which is good.

North Carolina Law also requires that these agencies give advance notice to the people to allow the public time to learn of the meetings and make plans to attend. In general, there are three types of meetings with different advance notice criteria for each type.

1. Regular Meetings: There are Regular meetings where regular business is conducted. The advance notice criteria for Regular meetings is basically “well in advance.” Plus, there are requirements of where and how these regular meetings are announced.

2. Special “Called” Meetings like the School Board meeting scheduled for today (January 7, 2021) require 48 hours’ notice. Special “Called” meetings are meetings that are NOT Emergency Meetings, but are deemed necessary by the public body to serve the public’s best interest in a timely manner between the intervals of Regular Meetings. Note that School Board and Commissioner Regular meetings are every two weeks, while the CCC BOT Meetings are usually once every two months. So Special “Called” meetings are not really so special or unusual. Just prudent.

3. Emergency Meetings are just that-EMERGENCIES. NCGS 143-318.12 (f) says: For purposes of this section, an “emergency meeting” is one called because of generally unexpected circumstances that require immediate consideration by the public body. The advance Notice requirements for EMERGENCY Meetings are basically NONE. As soon as the public body can get together to respond to the emergency. A reasonable requirement, I would say.

So, when I heard Charlotte TV News WCCB report on the Rogue Teachers Petition, calling the January 7th, 2021 School Board Meeting an EMERGENCY MEETING, I smelled a rat. The Rogue teachers, joined by Phillip “Poodle” Glover, Dena Green, Shearra Miller, Roger Harris, Jo Boggs, Roger Harris, Coleman Hunt, Richard Hooker and Jeff Jones have fed false news to the FAKE NEWS networks with the intent of invoking undue hysteria in the citizens of Cleveland County. The FAKE NEWS networks thrive on false information and the planned scheme hatched up by the rogue teachers and rogue school board members, past and present was just that. A planned scheme to instill fear into the general public in Cleveland County for their own corrupt purposes.

Folks, I don’t fall for such amateur shenanigans and neither should YOU. My prediction is the NEW School Board Majority at CCS is doing the right thing and this Special “Called” Meeting of January 7th, 2021 of the School Board will only consist of an update of information related to the start of schools for CCS and perhaps an announcement of how these decisions were made.

Also remember, NC Governor Roy Cooper announced yesterday that the starting of Schools in North Carolina will be in accordance with the decisions of each local school board. I am so glad that we have this NEW School Board Majority at CCS that will make vital decisions based on factual information and will disregard the “noise” of the Rogue teachers and Rogue School Board minority.

Most importantly, remember, I do not do FAKE NEWS. I put my name on my articles and do not try to scam the public with phony petitions signed by Rogue teachers, rogue school board members and other rogue political hacks. But don’t believe me. Get yourself out to the Special Called School Board meeting this evening and see for yourself.

The meeting is January 7th, 2021 at 6:00 PM and the CCS Staff Development Center at 400 West Marion Street, Shelby NC.

The Cleveland County School Board has called a Special Meeting Thursday, January 7, 2021 at 6:00 PM and the Central Offices Staff Development Center 400 W Marion Street Shelby, NC. The only thing presently on the agenda is a discussion of the school limited reopening scheduled for January 19, 2021 for grades K-4. This follows the latest COVID-19 News Release and potential Order from Governor Roy Cooper on Wednesday January 6, 2021. Public Participation is NOT on the agenda. Cleveland County Public Health Officials would be expected to participate in the School Board discussion of the Governor’s Orders, if any. Up to now, the Cleveland County Health Department Director Tiffany Hansen has refused to provide direct COVID-19 recommendations to the CCS School Board.

My last several articles about the NEW School Board Majority may have seemed to be a scathing rebuke toward the newly elected Cleveland County School Board members. That was not my purpose. My purpose was to point out what appeared to be a tactical error in the way the School Board Attorney RFP turned out. Of course, I realized, at a strategic level, the RFP debacle could turn out to be a smart move if the lessons are taken to heart. My criticism, and it was criticism, was intended to be constructive. Point out a problem so it can be fixed. I even suggested a smart and necessary fix for that problem. A fix that will eventually have to be made to turn CCS around from its previous corrupt and wasteful ways. But other things are brewing too. Like the “weaponizing” of the COVID-19 Pandemic for political purposes. Sources now report that School Board member Phillip “Poodle” Glover and Dena Green have joined with disgraced and defeated former School Board Members Shearra Miller, Richard Hooker, Roger Harris and others in signing a Petition to keep CCS closed down until further notice. Such an act is in clear violation of Cleveland County Schools Board Policy 1000-Role of Board Members in Informal Meetings. This Policy states that:

Individual board members should inform any citizen or group of citizens with whom they meet that, in such meetings, they act only as individuals and not for or on behalf of the board unless they have been so authorized by official board action. In addition, board members should attempt to avoid situations in which their presence could be inferred as being officially representative of the board.

Individual members of the board shall refrain from meeting with groups of school employees to discuss matters relating to employment or conditions of work without specific authorization by official board action.

Note that School Board ethics call for School Board Members to publicly support decisions of the School Board whether or not they, individually, actually voted to approve that decision. Violations, in military terms, would be called sedition or treason.

I am sure every working person (outside of CCS) who had children in school and were laid-off from their jobs or otherwise were rendered unemployed by the pandemic realizes that Governor Roy Cooper and the OLD Cleveland County School Board shut down CCS last March when there were ZERO cases of COVID in Cleveland County. When there were ZERO deaths from COVID. Laws were passed to prevent foreclosures on people’s homes during the pandemic. And other such consequences. People began to survive by going to their credit cards and other forms of debt. Debt that will eventually come due. It will be bankruptcy for many. Maybe the whole of North Carolina and the USA too before this pandemic is over.

So, starting CCS back up in particular and all schools in general has been a political football ever since March of 2020. Dumping millions of kids (14,000 from CCS) out of school and requiring working parents to stay at home to look after them, basically shut down the economy. From booming to busted. Paychecks to credit cards for many as a way to survive.

When it became known that children were not very susceptible to the dangers of COVID, the official Democrat cry became, “keeping schools shut down would keep the children from picking up COVID at school and bringing it home to grandma or grandpa.” That propaganda lasted for a while. But you don’t hear that too much anymore.

Now, at least for CCS, whose administration and teachers never missed a paycheck while children were not being taught, the old school board just talked about opening up the schools. About an hour every school board meeting was spent with Superintendent Fisher talking meaningless numbers that did not mean anything that could be an accurate indicator of anything. Like the old saying, “figures don’t lie, but liars can figure.” The new Health Department Director Tiffany Hansen contributed to all the confusion by refusing to provide recommendations that were asked for by School Board Member Danny Blanton. Even Commissioner Johnny Hutchins asked for more definition from the confusing “numbers” provided by the Health Department at the December 15, 2020 Commissioner’s meeting. For the School Board helpful “numbers” would include: “How many COVID cases on a weekly basis have been attributed to COVID positive cases contracted at CCS by teachers and by students.” Since CCS has been shut down tight since December 18,2020 until January 4, 2021 (where teachers AND students were out of school for the Holidays), any such number should be ZERO. Obviously, since kids and teachers were not in school during those times, it would be impossible for any COVID infections to have come from the schools in Cleveland County. Anything different would have to be totally hokum and fake news. Obviously any COVID infections in teachers and students during this school closedown would have to come from somewhere else.

Also note that during all this time, since March of 2020 until now, that CCS has been shut down because of the COVID pandemic, and all the discussion of the OLD School Board for restarting CCS, NEVER ONCE did the OLD School Board EVER call for a special Called Meeting to discuss conditions that could result in restarting CCS. Only the NEW School Board Majority, by calling this special Called Meeting Thursday, January 7. 2021, has shown any indication of taking this Pandemic seriously. And even more important, never did the OLD School Board ever seriously consider the fact that STUDENTS presently within CCS are failing to get the full measure of Education that our tax money is actually paying for. Only the NEW School Board Majority-Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Danny Blanton have shown the gumption, the grit, and the initiative to put the overall best interest of students over the laziness of the Old School Board and the corrupted interest of the bureaucracy of the NC Public School System as exhibited by Cleveland County Schools. As well as the phony petition to keep CCS closed down that they have put out. As falsely reported by the Shelby Star just a few days ago.

The actions of the NEW School Board Majority to call this Special Called Meeting may certainly appear to be a well-planned trap to catch the Shelby Star, Poodle Glover and his cronies as well as the lazy teachers and their phony petition in the act of their phony propaganda message to the citizens of Cleveland County. And, maybe it was. But, in fact, it was just the right thing to do. Starting CCS back into the business of fully educating our children is basically the only reason CCS even exists in the first place. It certainly does NOT exist to serve as a “black hole” to throw money into and have the money disappear without a trace of doing any good. For the students or the taxpayers. This special Called meeting on January 7, 2021 and any other special called meetings that are necessary to start CCS back on the track of fully educating our students is the right thing to do and the right time to do it. Period. And I congratulate the NEW School Board Majority for doing it.

But the fact remains that the Shelby Star, Poodle Glover and others are trying to sabotage the good work of the NEW School Board Majority and need to be called down on it.

The Shelby Star Article of January 5,2021 titled Petition asks board to reconsider returning to full-time instruction is full of bias, deception and even a bald-faced lie. At the December 14, 2020 School Board meeting when the new Republican School Board members were sworn in, there was plenty of discussion about restarting CCS for grades K-4. Eventually the discussion lead to a motion and an amended motion by Poodle Glover to restart CCS o Plan A (full school operation) for Grades K-4 on January 19, 2021. That motion passed by a unanimous vote: 9-0. The Shelby Star article reported that Phillip (Poodle) Glover voted against his own motion and the vote to restart school was 8-1. A total lie and deception. After the vote to restart on January 19th was approved, Poodle made a motion to limit the restart to only four days a week. That vote was 8-1 with Poodle being the only school board member to vote for a 4 day a week restart. But, don’t believe me. Go watch the school board meeting video and see for yourself.

The Star article even quoted Danny Blanton as questioning the number of recent COVID cases coming out of CCS as “five” or less. Of course, Blanton was describing the past two plus weeks when CCS was Closed down for the Holidays. Teachers and Students. The correct statistic should have been ZEERO. Blanton gave them five out of generosity. But the Star printed it in such a way that some of the lazy teachers who started and signed the petition are complaining that Blanton does not care about the teachers. When, in fact, Blanton was 1,000% correct.

All in all, the NEW School Board Majority are just doing the right and prudent thing regarding the many factors that should be considered in restarting CCS from the COVID Pandemic shutdown. But, by simply doing the right and prudent thing, the NEW School Board Majority has shown up the past actions of the OLD School Board and Administration to be SO BAD that even the smallest act of doing something right seems like such a huge accomplishment.

I say Cleveland County Schools ain’t seen nothing yet. Kudos on top of Kudos for the NEW School Board Majority. Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Dany Blanton-Job well done!!! Keep up the good work. See ya at the Special Called Meeting Thursday January 7, 2021. It is a public meeting. Everybody is invited.

PS: Citizens might ought to expect that, any significant delay at this point, in restarting CCS would result in shutting down CCS fully until the green light is given to restart. It would also be expected that teachers and most administrators would also be placed on unemployment, like everybody else, until this pandemic is deemed under control. What is good for the goose is good for the gander is how the old saying goes.

Editor’s Note: Acclaimed Author and UNC-Wilmington Professor Dr. Clyde Edgerton has established a following of people under the banner of “North Carolina Concerned Parents and Citizens 2020.” Dr. Edgerton and others have joined together to fight racial discrimination and sexual abuse in New Hanover County that has caused the removal of the NHC School superintendent and Assistant Superintendent, the School Attorney as well as sending several NHCS employees to prison. Dr. Edgerton has also taken to monitoring my publications and others across North Carolina in his noble efforts to improve education in North Carolina and make North Carolina Schools a place where children can learn in a safe and caring environment.

Upon reading my last article titled “New School Board Majority stumbles at First Step,” regarding the New Cleveland County School Board Majority trying to find a new attorney, Dr. Edgerton immediately sent the Cleveland County School Board the following Message. Please note that Dr. Edgerton reduced my 2,000 plus word investigative article and recommendation down to three sentences. The last sentence being profound, but not nearly as eloquently described in my article. Dr. Edgertom told the CCS School Board, “You (the School Board) and only you, of course, represent the PEOPLE!!” And students, children, parents and taxpayers are people too!!! Corruption is not “people” and deserves to be eliminated!!! Immediately!!!

The following is the message Dr. Clyde Edgerton sent to the entire Cleveland County School Board. It is so profound in so many ways. It is a thought, a concept, that has escaped the consolidated Cleveland County School Board and “their” superintendents since the CCS formation near the turn of this century. The old school boards as well as the old and present school Superintendents have always worked together to protect the interests of the “establishment” version of Public Schools. Even and especially when those interests (and cover-ups) would conflict with the best interests of the people. And were often most hurtful to the safety of the children when child sexual abusers, when caught, were allowed to resign and often go to another school where their child sexual abuse would continue.

Please read Dr. Edgerton’s message below. Then go back to my last article noted, reread it and then come back to reread Dr. Edgerton’s message below. Contact the NEW School Board Majority: Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Danny Blanton and ask them to do the same. Time is wasting at CCS and the sooner the better in making the changes needed.

Dear Cleveland County School Board,

If the lawyer(s) under question is to serve you, we respectfully submit that it seems reasonable that you hire that lawyer with a clear definition of duties, duties that the school board defines. If the lawyer represents both the board and the school administration simultaneously, somebody needs to know which party the new lawyer will serve when there is a board-administration disagreement. You and only you, of course, represent the people.

Sincerely,
North Carolina Concerned Parents and Citizens 2020
Clyde Edgerton

The NEW school board majority (Robert Queen, Joel Shores, Ron Humphries, Rodney Fitch and Danny Blanton) has a mandate from the citizens of Cleveland County as shown by their overwhelming victory in the 2020 Elections. They have previously attended school board meetings and know, or should know, who and what they are dealing with in the corrupt bureaucracy in the CCS Administration. And with the old school board members. They have been sworn in and now the NEW school board majority members are in charge. Rooting out corruption, waste, inefficiencies, incompetence, etc. will take some time. We all know that. But so does the corrupt bureaucracy. And the NEW school board majority has lost their very first battle in the search for a new lawyer.

At the December 14, 2020 School Board meeting the New School Board Majority voted (5-4) to terminate the high-dollar Raleigh law firm of Tharrington & Smith by ordering a start to the 90-day termination agreement in the T&S Contract. This was totally appropriate as T&S and Superintendent Stephen Fisher had, all by themselves, filed the frivolous lawsuit against Sheriff Alan Norman in the name of the School Board, but without consulting the school board for approval.

Then, School Board Chairman Robert Queen foolishly instructed Supt. Fisher to develop a Request for a Proposal (RFP) to be issued to local attorneys for a new local Board Attorney position. And Fisher immediately issued the RFP to attorney firms that did NOT meet minimal standards. Many attorneys may not even waste their time responding to such an inadequate RFP. At least without having to ask many basic questions. Almost exactly like Fisher handled the frivolous lawsuit against Sheriff Alan Norman.

Basically, the NEW School Board Majority knew Superintendent Fisher was a “snake” and the “snake” would bite them at the first opportunity. And Fisher did bite them at the first opportunity as they should have known that he would. And from the start.

The subject RFP is attached at the end of this article. I will discuss the failings of the documents one by one as I have found them.

First, Superintendent Stephen Fisher installed himself as the “Head” of Cleveland County Schools in many locations in the document. Not the School Board, but Superintendent Stephen Fisher is running the show. And, just like in the frivolous lawsuit against the Sheriff, Fisher issues the RFP under his signature and then copies the School Board on what he has done. With no indication that the NEW School Board Majority members had a chance to review the document before it went out.

The most obvious mistake that the New School Board Majority made is to allow the RFP to be sent out under Superintendent Fisher’s name to begin with. For example, the RFP Cover letter should have been issued under the signature of CCS School Board Chairman Robert P. Queen instead of Superintendent Stephen Fisher. It is like the New School Board Majority has come out waving the white flag of surrender from the git-go. Not a good thing considering the Fake News article from the Shelby Star and the Petition from Rogue CCS School Teachers and Phillip “Poodle” Glover are basically thumbing their noses at the New School Board Majority for trying to start back schools. Which would put the teachers back to work for their pay instead of paying them for who knows what since the kids are not back in school full time.

Also, the instructions to the law firms to submit their proposals are ambiguous. In Section II of the RFP it says that CCS will accept RFPs through January 5, 2021. In Section VII Proposal Submittals, it says “Submit at least one (1) copy of the written proposal no later than 4:00 p.m., January 8, 2021. No proposals will be accepted after this time.”

Then is says:

Submit to:

Dr. Stephen Fisher, Superintendent
Cleveland County Schools
400 W. Marion Street
Shelby, North Carolina 28150

Instead of to:

Mr. Robert P. Queen, Chairman
Cleveland County Schools

And then Fisher says:

“Questions regarding this proposal should be directed to Dr. Stephen Fisher at (704) 476-8055.”

A clear statement to all that Superintendent Stephen Fisher is in charge at Cleveland County Schools and not the School Board. Especially the NEW School Board Majority. Besides, with Fisher as the go between, he controls what the lawyers hear and what the NEW School Board Majority hears. Just like always. And remember this; “when you do what you’ve always done, you get what you always got!!!” Take heed NEW School Board Majority, as Einstein defined insanity, “to keep doing the same things and expect different results is the very definition of insanity.” Wise up NEW School Board Majority! Closely!!!

Now, if you want to consider that all this is only minor political maneuvering by Superintendent Stephen Fisher and Poodle Glover, et al, to keep a lid on the corruption at CCS and should be expected. Or even overlooked. That is your prerogative. This is only an indication of things to come.

But this article is not winding up, we are just starting. This “Lawyer” RFP is worthless on it’s face. I will take this slow so everybody will understand.

An RFP is a Request for a Proposal from somebody to do something for YOU. In this case, the somebody is a lawyer firm, but what is the “something???” Where is the “Scope of Work? Where is the Board’s goals spelled out anywhere in the RFP? I will make this offer right now. I will pay $100 in cash to the first person that can show me where this RFP says anything specific that the lawyers will be doing or why!!

Staff Attorney, Board Attorney or whatever. Not one peep about exactly what a lawyer or a law firm will actually be doing for CCS or the NEW School Board Majority. At best Fisher did it this way as a deception that he actually did something that the NEW School Board Majority tasked him to do. At worst, and most likely, Superintendent Stephen Fisher does NOT understand what an RFP is all about. That he is totally unqualified in this arena. And, who needs unqualified personnel doing anything? Or sneaky ones either, for that matter.

But, let’s be more specific. It is exceedingly likely that the NEW School Board Majority wants an attorney attending School Board Meetings to give legal advice on the spot. Nowhere in the RFP does it say that. Nowhere does it say how many school board meetings there is in a year’s time and when, where and at what time. Or how long the meetings are likely to last. Basic information that is totally missing from Fisher’s RFP. No, it’s the NEW School Board Majority’s RFP and it is bad to the bone. No lawyer, without tons of questions, has a clue as to what the Scope of Work is that he is bidding on.

The RFP calls out “Educational Law” as a category of interest. Just what is Educational Law? And how different is “Educational Law” from regular law? Criminal Law? Civil Law? How many cases of “Educational Law” has Tharrington and Smith, T&S, done for CCS over the past 20 years? To my knowledge–ZERO!!! To my knowledge T&S has only been involved in matters related to covering-up for CCS misdeeds and stupidity.

Also, what law firm is trying to recover the $522,500 for CCS on the sale of the Old North Shelby School to Mt. Calvary Baptist Church Pastored by Rev. Lamont Littlejohn? Nobody!!! A Real Estate deal with payment about a year overdue. Simple Real Estate and Contract Law is the only thing needed in this instance. Plenty of those lawyers around and CCS does nothing. And the Old North Shelby School is a wasting asset with windows broken out and vandalism on a daily basis. Drug dealing and place for prostitution for drugs. A lawsuit in the making.

But this worthless RFP is not a one-time thing. It is standard operating procedure for CCS and Stephen Fisher. The construction cost over-runs at the new Shelby Middle School and the New North Shelby School Projects started with just such worthless documents that did not give sufficient or accurate guidance. Figuring 900 Students at the New Shelby Middle School and less than 400 attends. About $10 million wasted at the Shelby Middle School alone. The New North Shelby School RFP called for a special needs school with 175 students. Now it is built and only 50 students attend. Another $6.5 Million wasted in cost over-runs. $16.5 million wasted if you consider the fact that the entire New North Shelby School Project could have been absorbed into the vacant space at the new Shelby Middle School for almost nothing. And space left over.

Then, from another perspective, if you google “Education Law” as I did, you should also find what I found. A website called “FindLaw” stated the following:
Find A Trusted Education Lawyer
Education lawyers represent parents and their children in cases involving students’ access to public school education, rights of special needs students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), discrimination in education, and more. When you need help to make sure that your child receives an appropriate education, contacting an education law attorney near you is the first step.
Use the list of education law professionals that we’ve compiled to hire a local education law lawyer to help with the issues your child is facing at school.
What Can Special Education Lawyers Do?
Within the field of education law, there is a subset of special education attorneys who are primarily focused on fighting for special needs children and those with learning disabilities. These attorneys can:
• Build a case for your child’s eligibility for an individualized education program (IEP).
• Guide you through the IEP meeting preparation process and potentially attend the IEP meeting with you.
• In some instances, attorneys may even participate in the IEP drafting process.
• Represent clients in due process hearings when disputes arise.

All of this means is that Educational Lawyers represent parents and their children in their quest to make “bad” school boards that have done wrong, do right. Wouldn’t if be nice to have a good, all-round, school board attorney advise the NEW School Board Majority to be proactive, do what is right in the first place??? Quit all the favoritism, sexual and racial discrimination stuff and concentrate on providing the best opportunity for a basic and sound education for ALL Cleveland County Students?? Isn’t this what School Board and school system accountability is all about??? Something the Old School Board and the old superintendent Stephen Fisher NEVER understood or talked about??? Being PROACTIVE in doing the right thing first instead of REACTIVE in trying to cover-up what CCS has already done wrong?

Folks, this is not rocket science here. This RFP developed by Superintendent Stephen Fisher is more a way to justify what T&S has done to help CCS cover-up than seek out legal advice to help the NEW School Board Majority do what is right!!

The NEW School Board Majority has the right idea in seeking out legal representation to improve the education provided by CCS to our children. That is a good and noble thing. Directing Stephen Fisher to get this RFP job done was foolish and insane per Albert Einstein. But damage that is easily repaired and a good and solid lesson learned. Something new and recent that demonstrates Superintendent Stephen Fisher’s many serious shortcomings in the overall ethical operation of the Cleveland County School District. Fisher apparently just doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. And that might be giving him more credit than he actually deserves.

Folks, my recommendation to the NEW School Board Majority is simple. Throw out this worthless RFP immediately. Hire the lawyer spoken about at the December 14, 2020 school board meeting, the former School Board Attorney for the Gaston County School Board (I forget his name), on an interim basis. Since you already have talked to this attorney and trust him, hire him to get you through this release of the Tharrington & Smith crowd and the negotiations for a more permanent arrangement with this attorney or somebody else. And move on with the more important “fish to fry” in turning around CCS into a competent, safe, effective and fiduciarily responsible organization. Turn this stumble into a solid lesson learned. Do what you know needs to be done. Do I need to say anything else? (If so, I will!)

New Attorney Information-RFQ