Since Robert A first heard about this big brouhaha at Burns High School this past Sunday evening, he knew the fix was in and the cover-up would soon be in full swing. Especially after getting the “Sunshine Report” of a Special Called School Board meeting set for the very next day. Monday Morning at 11:30 AM. So, Robert A immediately broke the story that very Sunday evening that a planned and organized “Mischief” had occurred a few days before at Burns High School such that the news would be out before the Special Called School Board meeting that next day. However, withing a short time Robert A received a message from a parent regarding the BHS mischief that also needed to be in the School Boards hands before their Special Called meeting.
Robert A then burned the midnight oil and got that second article out very early that Monday Morning and copied all the School Board members such that they would have those two articles in their hands prior to their Special Called Meeting at 11:30 AM. Little did Robert A know at that time the full scope of the “mischief” that was in fact criminal vandalism. And, that the news being out would cause School Board Chairman Robert Queen, CCS Superintendent Stephen Fisher and School Board members Joel Shores, Greg Taylor, Ron Humphries, and Walter Scott Spurling to themselves “go criminal” in their initial attempt to cover-up this BHS mischief.
Then, Robert A tuned in on the School Board’s Special Called Meeting Broadcast. They had an opening, the Pledge of Allegiance, an Invocation and then went directly into Closed Session per NCGS 143-318.11(a)4 (to preserve the attorney-client privilege) and (a)6 (to discuss a personnel matter). Robert A was quick to understand that a technically illegal act had just happened. The “Sunshine Notification” had included a Meeting Agenda for the Special Called Meeting that did NOT include a Closed Session and the School Board did NOT “amend” that agenda to include a Closed Session. Little did Robert A realize it right then, but the School Board (minus the often MIA Rodney Fitch who was absent for this Special Called Meeting) and Robert Queen were about to go from breaking small laws to breaking big felony laws. The School Board went into this illegal Closed Session and the video broadcast went dark. But the clock was ticking.
The Broadcast video stayed dark for well over an hour. From experience with Closed Sessions with this crowd of School Board members, Robert A was certain that this very long Closed Session was the scene of a “knock down, dragged out” melee of a discussion. Then the Closed Session ended and the meeting was adjourned with no actions being officially taken. Also, experience indicated to Robert A that there WAS an action taken. That “Action” being that NOTHING would be admitted to. That, as Stephen Fisher often likes to say whenever a cover-up was coming, “The matter has been handled!”
Robert A is relatively certain that CCS Superintendent Stephen Fisher and CCS School Board Chairman Robert Queen and his crowd of fools, lapdogs and water boys never anticipated the fact that they had just crossed over the line from breaking small “misdemeanor” procedural laws to actively committing felony crimes. When two or more agree to break a law, large or small, it is a conspiracy. And every Conspiracy is a felony crime. And, although “mischief” or even a “prank” may not, strictly speaking, be a legal violation, Vandalism is a crime well defined in North Carolina Law. Queen, Fisher and the others (at the meeting Humphries, Shores, Spurling and Taylor) agreeing to cover up vandalism is a conspiracy. And THEY are caught red-handed. Also, cleaning up the vandalism before law enforcement investigators arrive is called is an obstruction of justice. So is NOT Calling law enforcement to begin with. Another potential felony crime. So is accessory, after the fact, to the various crimes mentioned.
Also, one has to wonder, where were the School Board Attorneys during all of this? They were there in the Special Called Meeting allowing the School Board to become criminals without warning, and right before their very eyes. It doesn’t look good for the CCS School Board Attorneys. It certainly appears that they were also involved in this criminal conspiracy and could face disbarment proceedings or worse. But that is a story for another day.
Folks, note that such CRIMINAL ACTIVITY is just cause for firing Stephen Fisher and the offending Principal for cause, thus avoiding any employment contracts without recourse; as well as removing Queen, Humphries, Shores, Taylor and Spurling from their elected offices as School Board members. But that is also for another article.
As far as the reputation of Cleveland County Schools; if CCS had any reputation at all before this, it is surely gone by now. This incident “has wings” in the North Carolina News Media and perhaps beyond NC. Robert has and is covering it. So is Cleveland County News on Facebook. News Break, Charlotte Observer as well as TV Channel 9 and perhaps other TV News. And CCS School Board Members Ronnie Grigg and Danny Blanton (and perhaps Aaron Bridges in ways Robert A is not aware of,) being honest and honorable people are having nothing to do with the criminal acts and cover-up that are taking place. When the News folks call them and ask questions, they give honest and accurate answers. Just like they are supposed to do. Good for Ronnie, Danny and Aaron. Heroes amongst crooks. Folks, we gotta give them the much-needed help they need in the 2024 Elections, if not sooner.
One last thing in this article. Retaliation!!! The Crazies out there who are associated with the bad element in CCS and the Rogues in the Republican Party are doing their best to discredit Robert A and surely Ronnie Grigg, Danny Blanton and Aaron Bridges. Unfortunately, that is how Cleveland County operates. The Crazies have been on citizensforgoodgovernment.org posting crazy stuff using false ID’s. Robert A is used to such stupid stuff and set up his website so he moderates every comment prior to giving approval to post. When such stuff as calling Robert A and others bad names and making knowingly false statements; he just laughs and hits “DELETE.” Hopefully Ronnie Grigg, Danny Blanton and Aaron Bridges are learning to do that very same thing.
Folks, this is a learning experience for Cleveland County. CCS, as well as Cleveland County, has good people, but it also has bad people. We all have to learn who is good and who is bad. We need to promote the good and get rid of the bad. Especially in government and even more especially at Cleveland County Schools where our children are being taught right from wrong. That lesson, relative to this vandalism at Burns High School by BHS students, clearly shows that CCS is failing in teaching right from wrong. And no telling what else they are failing at. Open your eyes and call for changes at CCS. The children you save may be your own.
Stay Tuned. This story will be followed until the problems are resolved.