FACTS:
1 In accordance with NC Law, the Cleveland County Commissioners are allowed to appoint eight (8) of the twelve (12) Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees members in Staggered terms.
2 Robert Queen and Alan Langley were both appointed in June of 2017 by the Commissioners for four-year terms on the CCC Board of Trustees. Those terms end on June 30th of 2021.
3 At the June 15, 2021 Commissioner’s Meeting, the appointment of these two CCC BoT members were on the agenda for four-year terms. Prior to the appointment processes beginning, Commissioner Kevin Gordon asked for the floor. Commissioner Gordon then read into the Commissioner’s record a letter from Robert Queen requesting that he NOT be considered for reappointment to the CCC Board of Trustees. A copy of Queen’s letter (a public record) was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and North Carolina Public Records laws. That letter is attached at the end of this article. Note the letter is dated June 1, 2021.
4 The Commissioners nominated Jimmy Hensley and reappointed Alan Langley to the CCC Board of trustees by a unanimous vote. Their new four-year terms will begin July 1, 2021. Robert Queen was NOT nominated and June 30, 2021 will be his last day on the CCC BoT!!!
5 Three days prior to the June 15, 2021 Commissioner’s Meeting, I published an article titled: Commissioners, It’s Time to Clean House on CCC BoTs!!! Starting with Robert “Luke” Queen!!! That article is also provided below for your convenience. Note that, in this article, I recommended the Commissioner’s Board NOT to reappoint Robert “Luke” Queen and provided appropriate reasons for such an action.
Now, for the rest of the story.
Source “gossip” says that Robert Queen did not write that letter on June 1, 2021. But, that Queen, warned that the Commissioners for a number of valid reasons-including my article, was not going to be reappointed to the Cleveland Community College Board of Trustees. The gossip goes on that Facebook entries and other statements that Robert Queen was advised to “resign” from the CCC BoT by fellow CCC BoT members Wes Westmoreland, Dennis Bailey, Dr. M. Lamont Littlejohn, Jr. and possibly others (including Commissioners) prior to the June 15th Commissioner’s meeting. The gossip is also that Queen did not write that letter on June 1, 2021 but on June 15, 2021, the actual date of the Commissioner’s Meeting, backdated to June 1 for “cover-up” purposes.
The importance of that June 1st, 2021 date is on that day at a previous Commissioner’s meeting date the commissioner’s board voted unanimously to approve the 2021-2022 County Budget. This budget reduced the County “School” tax rate from 15 cents per 100 dollars valuation to 14 cents. Source gossip says that this reduction was intended to show Robert Queen and others that the Commissioners were very, very and very upset by Robert “Luke” Queen’s performance on the CCS School Board and his many controversial actions carried out in an unabashed, disgraceful and unrepentant mannered actions that had make Queen a lightning rod for widespread public criticism. Things that reflected poorly on the Commissioners for appointing Queen to the CCC BoTs to begin with.
All the while the Commissioners are themselves facing public criticism tor actions that will end up increasing significantly property tax assessments that will be billed in late July as well as gossip that the American Legion World Series, Baseball, Inc. games under the former Commissioner Eddie Holbrook is still digging deep into taxpayers funds to financially support the million dollars of losses the ALWS sustains every year at taxpayer’s expense. And, gossip says that there is more to this Robert Queen “resignation” letter than meets the eye. Things that are developing as we speak that if I were to disclose at this time might jeopardize the identity of some of my trusted sources and expose them to certain retaliation. Certain retaliation that Cleveland County and the City of Shelby is so famous for. Re: the discrimination and retaliation against Mr. Willie Green for trying to do business in Shelby and Cleveland County.
Folks, this article and the subjects it touches on appear to be only the tip of an iceberg of scandals and corruption and even lawsuits that my sources have asked me to be temporarily silent on. Pieces of a puzzle of lies and deceptions that you will be surprised at how diabolical.
But, before I close until further developments, let me point back to Robert “Luke” Queen’s letter that is so disingenuous and deceptive.
Queen, in his phony letter, says that his dual board responsibilities (School Board Chairman and Community College BoT membership) is MORE than he can handle. Yet:
1. Commissioner Johnny Hutchings is also serving on the CCC BoTs and is not complaining. Also, the Shooting Complex Board and other boards.
2. School Board member Danny Blanton also serves on the Workforce Development Board and is not complaining. (Also, School Board member Danny Blanton was reappointed by the Commissioners to the Workforce Development Board the very night the commissioners did NOT re-appoint Robert Queen to the CCC BoTs. (Not related that I know of; but Betsy Wells was removed from the DSS Advisory Board just like Luke was removed from the CCC BoTs.)
3. Commissioner Chairman Doug Bridges also serves on the Cleveland County Fair Board without complaining about being overworked.
4. Commissioners Deb Hardin, Ronnie Whetstine and Kevin Gordon all serve on other Boards as a part of their duties as commissioners without complaining. (Note that I am personally against the Commissioners and other board members serving on dual boards as that increases the chance of a conflict of interest which is disregarded when those other boards come to the Commissioners with their hands out for county funding.
So, folks. Stay tuned!!! There will be more to come about the many tentacles of corruption that seem to radiate out from Robert “Luke” Queen. To the point that “Luke” should also resign from the School Board or face the consequences for taking bad advice that he has taken from those that he should be staying away from.
R Queen ltr to Commissioners-CCC BoT-do not consider FV[doc id=5135]