Editor’s Note: “Administrative leave” is a way to remove an employee from the business or agency operations at their place of employment. Employees are asked to remain at home during regular work hours but continue to receive regular pay and benefits. In some cases, this can be due to allegations of criminal acts or wrongdoing.
Early this week Robert A received a message from a source that stated:
Mr. Williams.
I wanted to bring this to your attention. You need to know that Mr. Kevin (maddog) Gordon has been placed on administrative leave in Gaston County from his job. Maybe you can get to the bottom of this and find out why. He is trying to keep this hush-hush!!!!!
Robert A immediately googled “Kevin Gordon” and “Gaston County Government” and found that Kevin Gordon is the Director for Emergency Management & Fire Services for Gaston County. From the Gaston County information, it appears that Kevin Gordon has eleven high level EMS and Fire persons reporting directly to him. This appears to be a responsible position and NOT the kind of position where you are put on Administrative Leave for “flimsy” reasons. That something regarding Kevin Gordon, if the report is accurate, is seriously amiss over there in the Gaston County EMS & Fire Services. And the Gaston County Commissioners have seen it to be serious enough to put Kevin Gordon on Administrative Leave pending an outcome that has not yet been determined or released.
Although Robert A first thought that he should just wait and see what happened over in Gaston County, a quick second-thought said NO! Absolutely not! It the Gaston County Commissioners think the situation involving Kevin Gordon is serious enough to put Kevin Gordon on Administrative Leave to protect Gaston County employees and citizens, doesn’t Cleveland County employees and citizens deserve that very same protection? Perhaps even more protection since Kevin Gordon is at a much higher-level position in Cleveland County than he is in Gaston County. In an abundance of caution for Cleveland County employees, citizens and residents, shouldn’t Kevin Gordon, in Cleveland County, also be placed on Administrative Leave? The answer to that question is a resounding YES!!
Although it is not immediately certain, at least to Robert A (yet), as to the exact cause of this Administrative Leave in Gaston County, it is just as possible that Kevin Gordon’s “infraction” in Gaston County could be BIG-a criminal act, just as easily as it might be small-an unethical act. Again, out of an abundance of caution, Cleveland County Commissioner Chairman Kevin Gordon should not be involved in Cleveland County budgets, closed sessions, financial decisions, personnel actions, and other critical decisions until the results from Gaston County are fully known and understood in Cleveland County!!!
Also, since Kevin Gordon is active in both Cleveland and Gaston County EMS and Fire Services, EVERY EMS worker and Fireman in Gaston County and at least HALF of all EMS and Firemen in Cleveland County already know what is going on with Kevin Gordon and his administrative leave situation in Gaston County. If the Cleveland County Commissioners don’t know yet, they will soon know what is going on with Kevin Gordon. Perhaps the CC Commissioners should just flat out demand for Kevin Gordon to spill the beans about his issues. And act accordingly. At least to put Kevin Gordon on Administrative Leave here in Cleveland County until this whole issue is well known and fully considered. And certainly NOT BE COVERED UP! AS the Cleveland County Commissioners most often have the tendency to do.
As for Robert A, his investigation will be two-fold:
- Check out Kevin Gordon’s alleged bad acts. Are they criminal, unlawful, unethical or what?
- Tell the citizens of Cleveland County whether or not the other four CC Commissioners are covering-up for Kevin Gordon as they have already been known to do in the past.
ALL of us are damn-well already tired of all the cover-ups here in Cleveland County. And, it is just as likely that the Gaston County Commissioners are just as bad.
Stay Tuned folks. This is a continuing investigation!!! And, Robert A believes lots of EMS and Firemen are already “chaffing at the bit” to tell us directly what is going on. And they all know by now that Robert A protects his source’s identity!!