Now, let’s get to the July 13, 2021 CCC Board of Trustee Meeting.
For the past five years or so, I have attended almost all of the Cleveland Community College Board of Trustee meetings and wrote many articles about them. My attention was first drawn to CCC due to reports from Raleigh about CCC collusion with Cleveland County Schools to increase CCS student participation in “Dual Enrollment” college credit classes by “dumbing down” the supposedly college level classes. Then it was discovered that the College President had set the password “fuckshannon69” into his college “work” computer. Shannon being the first name of his second in command. An attractive woman whose career was accelerated to that point apparently because of her ”favorable” relationship with the President. Whatever that “relationship” actually was has been hidden by the CCC Board of Trustees by deeming the investigative report “Confidential.” Most of the CCC Board of Trustee members then are still there and still covering up. Now, after the previous CCC President and his second in command are both gone, I have heard “gossip” that the former CCC President was also a gambling addict. And, all of Cleveland County so-called leadership have drawn an Indian Casino into our midst. Go figure!!
Also, about that time, the CCC Board of Trustees chairman was accused by the Mayor of Shelby (Stan Anthony) of a conflict of interest regarding a multi-million-dollar CCC construction project-the CCC “Advanced Technology Center” (then called the “Advanced Manufacturing Center”) that has just recently broken ground. And there were lawsuits filed against CCC that CCC lawyers got them off and some that they had to pay off. Never admitting to doing anything wrong.
I say all this to say this: I always look closely at everything the CCC BoTs do and also what they don’t do to correct the many problems that they have. This Robert “Luke” Queen CCC BoT Board Appointment fiasco is no different. Plus, all the other concerns that came to mind during this July 13, 2021 CCC BoT Meeting. (And, don’t forget that I have already caught CCC in the lies about maintaining and allowing access to public records as previously noted.)
The Optics at the beginning of the meeting were this:
Robert “Luke” Queen was sitting at the Board’s table as if he owned the place.
Alan Langley was there. Jimmy Hensley was absent as was Commissioner Johnny Hutchins who is also a CCC BoT member.
Philanthropist Betty Carrigan was also absent at the start of the meeting. Craig Debrew was also absent.
Chairman Rev. Dr. Lamont Littlejohn stated that the missing BoT members had gone to the “Beach.” Which was a lie as Mrs. Carrigan came in a few minutes after the meeting started. Right after the agenda was approved by all the BoT members that were present.
When Mrs. Carrigan arrived and took her seat, the Board Meeting was obviously being conducted in some sort of illegal manner. Langley had been properly re-appointed by the Commissioners but Robert “Luke” Queen was booted off the BoTs by the Commissioners, at Luke’s own backdated request and replaced by Jimmy Hensley at the June 15, 2021 Commissioner’s meeting. So, Luke Queen would have had to be appointed by the General Assembly-allegedly by Senator Ted Alexander-although such an appointment would have booted Mrs. Carrigan. Since the CCC BoT Meetings are only held every other month, the “optics” regarding Commissioner Johnny Hutchins absence, coupled with NO Commissioners being present and Jimmy Hensley being absent, seemed to indicate that the Commissioners had surrendered to the Mutiny by the BoTs without one word of protest. Making the Commissioners appear to be incompetent and know-nothing fools.
As for the Board of Trustees, they were acting like they were the kings of the world. Doing what they wanted and having plenty of money to spend. We will talk about the money a bit later. Now would be a good time for you taxpayer folks to take your blood pressure pills.
All CCC BoT Members present at the time voted unanimously to accept the agenda (without swearing in newly appointed Board members) without a question, discussion or comment. I wrote in my notes, “What a joke!” My thought when Mrs. Carrigan came in just seconds after the phony agenda was approved was that her timing was planned to avoid that phony vote. A smart move in my opinion. My recommendation to the Commissioners, if they ever wake up and smell the roses (or the excrement) is to “fire” every BoT member who voted for that phony agenda.
I will note at this time that myself and Rev. Billy Houze, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lawndale, were the only “civilian” members of the public that were in attendance.
Nowhere in this CCC BoT meeting did Chairman Rev. Dr. Lamont Littlejohn ever mention the appointment or reappointment of Board members whose terms had just expired or any newly appointed Board members or when they would be sworn in. I would note at this point that newly appointed Board members are usually sworn in at the first BoT meeting after their terms start, July 1, 2021 by the Clerk of Superior Court. However, there are no legal restraints from the new Board members being sworn in by the Clerk of Court at any time and at any place. If the Commissioners would wise up, they would arrange for Jimmy Hensley to show up at the Courthouse at the earliest possible moment and be sworn in the Clerk of Superior Court’s Office. Putting a stop to this charade by the mutinous CCC Board of Trustees members.