Folks, there is no doubt that I have written many articles that are critical of School Board Chairman Robert “Luke” Queen. And, I believe every word of criticism of Mr. Queen that I have written is based on a certain code of conduct. My Code of Conduct.
MY Code of Conduct calls for me to write about government issues that are based on laws and evidence. And If an elected official refuses to discuss public business with me, or lies to me, or lies to the public, I am free to form my own conclusions and my own opinions,
As such, I have NOT written much about anyone’s personal sexual behavior or rumors about anyone’s sexual behavior unless they involve illegal acts against school children or interfere directly with public business. Like a supervisor sexually forcing themselves upon a subordinate.
Therefore, I have NOT written a word about the “rumors” swirling around School Board Chairman Robert “Luke” Queen on Facebook and other places until now. Rumors that I have heard, names included, that I have just sat on because they were not relevant to anything. Rumors that I have recently seen on Facebook that give the details but not the names-but fit exactly with what I have previously heard, with the names. Now the rumors are relevant. And I am about to tell you why NOW is the appropriate time to turn over the information I have to the appropriate authorities. The appropriate authorities are law enforcement, the District Attorney, the North Carolina Attorney General, and YOU, the people!!!
First, some background. In general detail here. Specific details are included in public documents that I will attach at the end of this article. (A NC Superior Court Lawsuit.)
A severely autistic (can’t speak) teenage boy was in attendance at North Shelby School. The boy was allegedly pushed down and backward in the playground by a teacher. The boy’s head struck an exposed iron drainpipe, splitting his head wide open. I have a picture that I will also attach.
Instead of taking the badly bleeding boy immediately to the emergency room, CCS personnel physically restrained the boy on the ground until the boy’s mother arrived, even though the mother had instructed CCS personnel she was more than 30 minutes away and to take the boy immediately to the Emergency Room.
When the mother arrived, she again instructed CCS personnel to take the boy to the emergency room. And EMS was called.
Then, a series of events took place where many improper things happened.
The mother was not told the truth about what happened to the boy becoming injured., CCS personnel lied to the mother about lots of details, the boy’s IEP had been violated, The officer the Shelby Police Department sent out to investigate about 11 days after the incident was the husband of Jennifer Wampler, the CCS HR Director. The mother met with various CCS officials, including Superintendent Stephen Fisher. Never getting correct answers or anything resolved.
The mother began coming to many School Board meetings and speaking under Citizens Participation (which limits the speech to only 3 minutes) telling the School Board the details of her son’s treatment by CCS Personnel. And NOTHING was ever done. No disciplinary action was ever taken. I was personally convinced that the mother had a Multi-Million Dollar lawsuit against Cleveland County Schools. If she could only find a lawyer that wouldn’t sell her out.
Eventually, the mother spoke to the school board many, many, many times and I was sitting right there listening.
Others in the audience were there listening too. One is Mr. TEA-Party, Guy Smith. And I personally observed and heard Mr. Smith “hitting on” the mother several times. Now, I hear rumors that the Mother and Guy Smith have been seen together in such venues as the Don Gibson Theater as late as just a few weeks ago. Good for them were my thoughts at the time.
Rumors also have it that the mother and School Board Chairman Robert “Luke” Queen were involved in sexual liaisons over a period of time.
I heard these rumors about the mother and Robert Queen in relatively specific details. However, I did NOT write a word about it at the time because it was not the kind of writing that I do. People’s personal life that has nothing to do with public affairs (pardon the pun).
All that changed for me at the February 14, 2022, School Board meeting.
I had not noticed the mother at school board meetings for some time now and had not noticed her at the February 14th meeting either. Until during the meeting Closed Session. I thought I was all alone (as I usually am) in the General Offices Auditorium during closed sessions. Most of the time, well almost all the time, everybody leaves for good when the School Board goes into closed session, almost always held at the very end of School Board meetings. Right before the meeting is adjourned. The School Board comes back into open session, and takes whatever vote, if any, that is necessary. Then the meeting is adjourned.
But I never leave when the school board goes into closed session, I have watched governmental agencies enough, and read the laws governing closed sessions enough to know that closed sessions are often misused. They are often used to discussing things that are not allowed to be discussed in closed sessions, but they do it anyway. Secrets, cover-ups, and such. But no actions can be taken in closed sessions. The Boards have to come back into open sessions to take a vote on anything they plan to do. Or to approve anything they plan to do.
So, I stay and pick up on lots of things the Boards would rather I not know about. And write about it. I tell on them for their illegal ways. One of the most recent being the vote on Superintendent Stephen Fisher’s evaluation and pay increase. That vote was in closed session and therefore illegal. But you can bet the Cleveland County District Attorney will NOT prosecute.
But, on February 14, 2022, the School Board meeting’s closed session, before the School Board came back into the auditorium, I am sitting there thinking I am alone. I am writing up an article or a To-Do list for the next day. Or something. Then I happen to turn to the left, I had a reason to turn to the left that is totally different from what this article is about. Something that is important for totally different reasons that I will discuss at another time.
When I turn to the far left, what do I see? No, WHO do I see? It is the mother of the autistic child that I am now writing about. The mother is the subject of rumors about herself and Robert Queen and also her association with Guy Smith. She is sitting there all alone too. I do NOT know if she even saw me turning my head to the left and seeing her. There were no exchanges of glances, nods, or anything else. But my mind quickly turns away from my good purpose for turning left in the first place.
Since it was already nighttime and Guy Smith was NOT present, I can only assume her purpose in being there was in some fashion related to Robert Queen. But folks, remember this. It is February 14th, 2022. Valentine’s Day. Remember that Feb. 14, 2022 date for later in this article.
Now, Fast Forward to the March 14, 2022, School Board meeting. And, there is another Closed Session. I will say at this point that I have been making critical comments for over a year to the School Board Attorney Leigha Sink about how the CCS School Board does NOT properly follow North Carolina General Statutes regarding the requirements to enter into closed sessions. Especially the laws that require adding the names of the parties as well as the case number of any lawsuit that is to be discussed behind closed doors with the school board lawyers. After all these repeated complaints to the School Board lawyers, there has been some improvement. And I always pay very close attention to the motions the School Board has to make to go into closed session. There are lots of good reasons for these State laws, but that will not be discussed here.
