Folks, I told YOU so!!! The “Un-Civil War” in the Cleveland County Republican Party and the “Mutiny” by the Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees has joined together to cause the beginning of a total “collapse” of the “Rule of Law,” such as it was, in the State and Cleveland County Government and its agencies. The Education of our children are the first casualties in these well-known “secret” battles that have already begun. The know-nothing Commissioners appear to have “surrendered” in the first “skirmish.”
This article is a report on what happened at the July 13, 2021 Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees Meeting, But first, let’s deal with the lies and identify the liars that are involved. Everybody will say that I am the liar, so let’s start with me.
I have often, including this series of articles, told everybody “Don’t believe a word I say, read the documents for yourself.” One of the very first things I did, in regard to the rumor that Senator Ted Alexander had went against the Cleveland County Commissioners decision to “boot” Robert “Luke” Queen off the CCC Board of Trustees and Reappointed Luke Queen as an appointment of the NC General Assembly was to send a Freedom of Information Act request and a public records request under the Public Records Laws of North Carolina to all concerned. I did this by email to Senator Ted Alexander, Speaker of the House Tim Moore, Representative Kelly Hastings, All CCC BoTs, All School Board Members and All County Commissioners, County Manager Brian Epley and others requesting the opportunity to inspect any and all public records involving recent appointments by the North Carolina General Assembly to the CCC Board of Trustees. In other documents that I also sent to ALL those mentioned above, I attached a copy of the signed letter that Robert “Luke” Queen backdated and sent to the Cleveland County Commissioners prior to their June 15, 2021 Commissioner’s Meeting where Luke had requested the commissioners NOT to reappoint him to the CCC Board of Trustees because he was too overwhelmed with work as the Chairman of the School Board. All these emails as well as Luke’s letter are public records and according to North Carolina laws are to be preserved and available to ANY member of the public that asks to examine those records.
So far only one entity, the CCC Board of Trustees, has responded to that public records request at 9:00 AM. July 13, 2021. And this is what that email message to me said:
Good morning,
As of the date of this request, no documents or records have been received regarding the General Assembly appointment for Cleveland Community College that would indicate the identity of the individual who will be appointed/reappointed; no documents, records or email correspondences have been exchanged; nor has a press release been written.
Regards,
Public Information and Marketing Coordinator
Cleveland Community College
(Editor’s Note: My reply to CCC, also a public record, about this public records request response sent after the meeting was: “Then why was Robert Queen sitting in and voting at today’s CCC BoT meeting after his term expired on June 30, 2021??? Why was Jimmy Hensley not sworn in today???“ CCC has refused to reply!!!)
Since it is obvious that MY very own emails to the CCC Board of Trustees and CCC President Jason Hurst and Luke’s Letter that was attached to a number of those emails that are all public records in accordance with North Carolina laws, the response to me by CCC to my Public Records Request was a blatant lie as well as an admission to a violation of North Carolina Public Records Laws. Making all 12 CCC Board of Trustees members and the Secretary of the BoTs not only liars, but crooks as well. This is not just an accusation; it is proof positive that Cleveland Community College leadership are liars and crooks. Also, since none of the others, Commissioners, School Board members, Senator Ted alexander, Tim Moore, Kelly Hastings haven’t even bothered to reply to my Public Records Requests that was legally made and a reply was legally required, I have to consider each and every one of them crooks and liars too. YOU folks can decide for yourself about that.
Now, some other facts that are public records.
The Cleveland County Commissioners at their June 15, 2021 Commissioner’s Meeting booted Robert “Luke” Queen off the CCC Board of Trustees by NOT reappointing Luke when Luke’s term expired June 30, 2021. Instead the Commissioners reappointed Alan Langley and appointed Jimmy Hensley by a unanimous (5-0) vote to the CCC BoT for four-year terms beginning July 1, 2021.
The only other CCC BoT member (besides Luke and Alan Langley) that expired June 30, 2021 was philanthropist Betty Carrigan. That appointment for Carrigan’s position on the BoTs, by law, was to be made by the North Carolina General Assembly. Senator Ted Alexander, Speaker of the House Tim More and Representative Kelly Hastings are the only members of the NC General Assembly that represent Cleveland County, in whole or part. They would be the ones to lead the General Assembly on the Cleveland Community College BoT appointments. Since I sent each of these General Assembly members advanced copies of ALL my articles related Robert “Luke” Queen being “booted off” the BoTs by the Commissioners, they cannot truthfully say that they did not know what the Commissioners had done in this matter. I hold Alexander, Moore and Hastings equally responsible for any re-appointment of Luke Queen back onto the CCC BoTs through a General Assembly appointment. Tim Moore is also the Cleveland County Attorney and was most likely consulted beforehand about Luke’s misbehavior that caused the commissioners to give Luke the boot to start with.
(Folks, if you are not mad about this situation-this Robert “Luke” Queen multifaceted situation-by now, read on. You ain’t heard nothing yet.)
