Just a few weeks ago a CCS-Washington Elementary School PE teacher gets arrested on Three Felony Child Sex charges and is released from the Cleveland County Jail within 18 hours. Controversy about this arrest is still swirling around because the CCS Superintendent Stephen Fisher did not fully and accurately notify the CCS School Board of the details. A fire-able Offense. And, now it appears the Sheriff’s Office is covering up for Supt. Fisher.
Late yesterday, the Shelby Star reports that Dustin Glenn Ledford, 41, of Bessemer City, NC, a Guidance Counselor at Fallston Elementary School was arrested for two felony charges of Child Abuse-Sexual Act and Indecent Liberties with a Child. This case also reeks of cover-up. Or worse.
First of all, Mr. Ledford’s “investigations” were known, according to Robert A’s source reports and calculated timelines, to CCS Superintendent Fisher at about the same time as the Washington Elementary PE Teacher’s Investigation. And Again Supt. Fisher appears to NOT have fully and accurately notified the full School Board of the details of this situation.
Second, this case began with a “report” that was originally made to the Cleveland County Department of Social Services as an assault on a minor that “allegedly occurred approximately two years prior to being reported” to the CCDSS.
Apparently, because the report alleged a serious “Crime” the CCDSS, according to the Shelby Star report, referred the case to the Kings Mountain Police Department. This is also strange, because normal protocol for the CCDSS would have been for the CCDSS to refer the investigation to the CC Sheriff’s Office. One can only speculate Why the CCDSS broke its protocol to bypass the CC Sheriff’s Office. And, perhaps the CCDSS didn’t break this protocol at all. And it was maybe the CC Sheriff’s Office, already previously criticized for their apparent cover-up for CCS Supt. Fisher, who got the Kings Mountain Police Department involved with this case.
Anyway, the KMPD presented their findings to the CC District Attorney on February 21, 2024 (a full week ago), and criminal charges were brought on February 23, 2024, according to the Star’s article.
Also, according to the Shelby Star, the KMPD states the child in question did NOT attend Fallston Elementary School and this incident appeared to be an “isolated incident.” , the alleged offender, Dustin Glenn Ledford is not currently being held in the Cleveland County Jail.
Other gossip reports are that Mr. Dustin Glenn Ledford is going through a messy divorce and the alleged victim is alleged to be his step-daughter. None of this has been fully confirmed, so folks, please consider this as pure ole gossip that is NOT to be believed under any circumstances. No matter that just about every adult in North Carolina has heard about such MOs that are often associated with messy divorces. Where one side is trying to get the edge over the other side. Custody, property settlements, just plain old anger, and such.
And, last, but not least.
Robert A has received reports that CCS does NOT do Criminal background investigations on their new hires because of the cost. $25 per report. Yet, CCS School Board Chairman Robert Queen and his bunch keep on giving Supt. Fisher $10,000 in regular bonus payments. Per Robert A’s calculations, just ONE of Supt. Fisher’s bonus payments would pay for 400 background checks.
Mr. Ledford’s next court date is April 22, 2024 at the Cleveland County Courthouse; Courtroom No 2.
Robert A notes, that as a Candidate for the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners, he would insist that Cleveland County Schools conduct a criminal background check as well as a Personality check similar to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) on every new employee that has any contact at all with our young children.