The almost four-hour School Board Meeting held March 14, 2022 was a perfect example of corrupt leadership trying to cover their own ass. It started early during Public Participation when a group of concerned parents expressed dismay to the school board about the hurried and likely ill-conceived closing of Graham and Marion Schools in Shelby that was never ever close to being properly explained. Even School Board Member Phillip Glover stated that things had gotten confused, even to him. And if he, being a School Board member, was not properly informed (“out of the loop”) about what was going on, it was no wonder parents “are out of the loop” and so confused. This immediately led to a round of applause from the audience, including me. Note: when the Board just entered into Closed Session Board Member Glover stated to me that it was a rare occasion when I applauded him. My reply was that “what you said made sense.” Glover replied if he could quote me. I said that I will put into print what I just said. And, so I have. But I will always support truth and good sense. No matter who says or expresses it. I suppose I would even do the same for Chairman Luke Queen if he would ever tell the truth or exhibit “good sense.”
And while Chairman Luke Queen is on our mind, just seconds later in the meeting (at about the one hour-nineteen-minute mark) Luke states that the “three minutes of public participation are not the best means of communication.” That there are emails and telephone numbers available. And “I (Luke Queen) am available to talk to anyone at any time.” Of course, Chairman Queen’s statement flies in the face of North Carolina law which states that “all public business is to be conducted in public.” Then, upon this and other observations, I realized the Luke Queen was making a “pass” at one of the attractive women-concerned parents who had spoken up in Public Participation and from the audience-an interruption such that Luke Queen had previously threatened me and Ronnie Grigg with expulsion from the meeting. It was exactly at this point that I came to realize, that out of the thousands of women who were also parents of school-aged children, this was a “target-rich environment” for those perverted school officials, like in the movie Forrest Gump (eeh, eeh, eeh, eeh), who would do favors for attractive women parents who did favors for them. Like Forrest Gump’s mother in that movie.
That was my own conclusion. Based on this and other observations over time. For tonight, the real “fireworks” would be just a little later. During the Closed Session.
The Closed Session at the March 15, 2022 school board meeting included many things”
The Wendy McKinney vs. Cleveland County Board of Education and Mark Patrick, (Principal of North Shelby School) Stephen Fisher and Jennifer Wampler lawsuit. This lawsuit was filed in Gaston County on March 17, 2020 and has since morphed into a Federal Lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges sexism. Infliction of emotional stress, discrimination, wrongful termination and many other things. The original lawsuit was 192 pages long and cost me $49.50 in copying costs to obtain. This lawsuit is “ripe” for trial and certain individuals from Cleveland County have been called for a Federal Jury Trial in Asheville that is expected to take four weeks to try that might be this very case. Word around the Federal Courthouse is this case will most likely cost Cleveland County Schools (taxpayers) tons of money. Om the multi-million$ range.
The Performance Review for CCS Superintendent Stephen Fisher.
Other un-named personnel actions.
And who knows what else as Closed Sessions often include other things that the School Board doesn’t want the public to know about-although this practice is against state law.
This Closed Session lasted for 2 ½ hours. As I waited, waited and waited even more, I realized that there was something very, very wrong going on in this extra, extra long Closed Session. As the minutes ticked off one by one, I was determined to stick it out and see just what I could as all Closed Sessions have to come back into Open Session to take any action. Including the adjournment of the March 15, 2022 School Board meeting.
When the Closed Session was finally over at 9:52 PM. The School Board members, to the person, came back ashen faced, stressed and eerily quiet. Then strange things begin to happen.
Nothing was said about the McKinney lawsuit.
Superintendent Fisher’s raise was only 2.5%. Much lower than inflation and the rise in cost of living. This was a bad sigh for Fisher. And clearly something that was highly divisive in the discussions.
The personnel report was passed, but by a 6-3 split vote. Danny Blanton, Joel Shores and Rodney Fitch voted NO.
This split vote was telling in that no other split vote in the history of this particular school board had Joel Shores and Rodney Fitch joining with Danny Blanton against Chairman Robert “Luke” Queen in any other vote about anything. Or Phillip Glover, Coleman Hunt, Greg Taylor and Dena Green joining up with Luke Queen and Ron Humphries.
Then the meeting was adjourned. But the fireworks were just starting. Or continuing.
I sat there a few minutes finishing up my notes. Danny Blanton immediately left the room. Joel Shores and Rodney Fitch were missing as I folded up my notebook and looked around. Glover was talking to someone. Fisher was talking to someone. Luke Queen was dashing around from one place to another, Humphries-I don’t remember seeing him of Greg Taylor.
One thing was sure, everybody was avoiding saying anything to me. Of course, this told me all that I needed to know. That something was amiss and I would find out sooner or later. It turned out to be sooner.
As I was walking out the Central Services front door, by myself, I hear loud voices all the way out on Marion Street. Although it was dark and the trees blocked the streetlights, I could make out Danny Blanton’s distinctive voice. The other voice(s) had to be Joel Shores or Rodney Fitch or both as everybody else attending the school board meeting had left hours ago.
I could plainly hear Danny Blanton say, “The next time HE (the “he” had to be Luke Queen) ‘balls his fist’ at me, he better be ready to use them!!!” As previously stated, I could not positively identify the other voices with Blanton. But knowing that Luke Queen was still inside I decided that my best thing to do was to just go on to the side parking where I was parked, go home and start writing this article.
And, in the middle of writing the above paragraph, I get a phone call. “The Principal of Crest High School, Jeremy Shields has announced that the Crest High School female teacher that displayed a nudie pornographic picture of a naked man to her whole class is expected back to work at Crest high School Thursday, March 17, 2022”. Her absence is described by the caller as a “Paid Vacation.”
Such as this will never end as long as CCS Chairman Luke Queen is still in command and the Commissioners won’t do anything about it.
Stay tuned for my 2022 Election recommendations!!!
