Commissioners in Legal Hot Water!!!–Again?? Closes Session to Discuss Litigation on Feb 2 Agenda!! My Guess is it is for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation!!! At Health Department!!! All Commissioners, County Manager, Former Health Department Director and Former HD Employee Sued!! If justice is done, County may have to pay big bucks!!! Report, guess, prediction and arguendo by Robert A. Williams

I know of at least two Federal Lawsuits hanging over the Head of the Cleveland County Commissioners, one involving sexual harassment and retaliation at the Health Department and one involving discrimination and retaliation at the Department of Social Services. There is a closed session scheduled at the Commissioners February 2, 2021 tonight to discuss pending litigation. North Carolina Law NCGS 143-318,11(c) requires the Commissioners make a motion to go into Closed Session and that motion also include the law and the parties involved in the litigation to be provided. The Commissioners, the School Board, the Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees and the City of Shelby all refuse to follow the law. That is why we have so many lawsuits against the so-called leadership in Cleveland County government.

Of the two lawsuits against the Commissioners, et. al.; the Health Department Sexual Harassment and retaliation lawsuit is the most likely one to be discussed tonight as it has been floating through the Federal Court system long enough to be ready for trial. I am particularly interested in this one as I am mentioned in this particular lawsuit-not by name, but because of articles that I have written. Paragraph 38 of the original lawsuit and paragraph 38 of the County Commissioner’s, County Manager, Former Health Department Director and the Former Health Department Employee’s “answer” to the lawsuit. Also, because I have knowledge of the perpetrator’s previous sexual harassment history going back 25 years that has been covered-up by all. And, I will be glad to testify and tell everything that I know about the case at hand and the harassment history. As I noted in a recent article, the Cleveland County Health Department is in chaos, which directly affects the restart of our schools amongst the COVID pandemic/. Illegal acts and cover-ups have to stop in Cleveland County Government and I will certainly do my part to stop it. If YOUR taxes go up to pay the fines, I don’t care. YOU should have been paying more attention to how badly your government has operated for so many years. My only regret is my taxes will go up too.

Also, on the agenda tonight are two items related to the County Debt. I have long stated that, in my opinion, Cleveland County is broke and surviving on “Credit Card” type debt. The dancing around the county debt is bound to be entertaining, even though it is so sad. One of those items is a public hearing, Item 10 on the agenda, called Installment Financing. For your information, a good part of the County’s debt (around $40 Million) is secured by the New Health Department Building (with a leaky roof), the James Love Elementary School and the New North Shelby School project. Miss a payment and all this property belongs to somebody else.

Ain’t it great living in Cleveland County. Where ignorance is bliss!! I am likely to be the only “civilian” at the Commissioner’s meeting tonight. I often am!!