Editor’s Note: This very morning, May 26, 2020, a series of emails have been issued that indicate new lawsuits will be filed against Shelby City Council Members David White and David Causby. These Public Announcements were sent to myself, The Shelby Star, Charlotte TV News, the North Carolina Attorney Josh Stein, the NAACP, The ACLU, Interim Shelby Attorney Marth Thompson, Shelby Mayor Stan Anthony, Shelby City Manager Rick Howell, the Southern Coalition for Equal Protection Under the Law, County Commissioners and County Attorneys in Cleveland And New Hanover Counties, Shelby Police Department Chief Jeff Ledford, Sheriff Alan Norman, Cleveland County Manager Brian Epley, Shelby City Council Members Violet Dukes, Andrew Hopper and Rev. Charles Webber, Sheriff Alan Norman and various other interested officials and persons.
I have included the series of emails below in the order that they were released. I have not added any comments, opinions, arguendo or gossip. The emails speak for themselves. You don’t have to believe one word that I have said.
Subject: Public Records Request (David White & David Causby)
To: City of Shelby
From Willie A. Green, Sr. 7:58 AM May 26, 2020
Diving deeper into Willie Green’s proposal
Dear custodian of records:
My name is Willie A. Green, Sr., I am the President and CEO of 5-Star Athlete Development, LLC. A minority-owned company attempting to do business in the City of Shelby. In the above article posted on January 26, 2020, in the Shelby Star City, Councilman David White, and Councilman David Causby made statements regarding a zoning request vote held at the Shelby City Council’s November 2019 meeting. About the property, I own at 1607 E Dixon Blvd and submitted a zoning application to build townhouses and provide an additional ingress and egress to the said property.
More specifically, Mr. White stated the reason why the Council did not approve my zoning application is that “we have to do what we feel is best for the city.” It is important to note – for the public record – Mr. White was featured twice after voting against my townhouse development in the Shelby Star marketing the new apartment building. Both my proposed – but declined – townhouses and Mr. White’s apartment is focused on the same demographics of “professionals” looking to relocate to Shelby.
Mr. Causby told the Shelby Star reporter, according to the article, even after he was advised by the City attorney not to make any public comments. “There’s a lawsuit going on, my dear, and we’ve been advised by our legal counsel to not make any public comments on it. “Still, when pressed by the reporter for a comment on whether he was instructed not to make comments regarding the sports complex and the apartments, Mr. Causby said it is “all tied together.”
The statements made by Mr. White and Mr. Causby are alarming, slandering, and the dissemination of the same, further send signals to the readers of the Shelby Star that my company or I have been engaging in dubious business practices, undeserving of doing business in Shelby. The statements by Mr. White and Mr. Causby had to be supported by some form of a factual basis, and to that end, please see below.
Pursuant to North Carolina Public Records Law, G.S. §132-1., I would like the City’s response to the following questions in writing;
1. Were the comments made by Mr. White and Mr. Causby in the January 26, 2020 article approved by a Council vote, which overrode the City’s attorney explicated orders not to make public comments? And was Mr. Causby and Mr. White speaking to the Shelby Star in that article as private citizens or as a City Councilmembers? If the Council authorized the comments by Mr. White and Mr. Causby, please provide me with all documents on votes or discussions by the City Council, the Mayor, or other City Officials that give justifiable reasons why the City Council approved Causby and Mr. White comments.
2. Does the City of Shelby support Mr. Whites’ comments that my company or I am “not best” for the City of Shelby? If so, please provide me with all documents as to why my company attempts to do business in Shelby is not best for the City.
3. Does the City of Shelby share the same sentiments as Mr. Causby that the reason why I was not approved for a zoning permit to build my townhouses, is because I have a lawsuit against the City and City Manager Rick Howell?
The law requires that you respond to and comply with this request “as promptly as possible.” If you expect a significant delay in responding to and fulfilling this request, please contact me with information about when I might expect a response.
If you deny any or all of this request for information, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.
Thank you in advance.
Willie A. Green, Sr.
At 8:53 AM May 26, 2020, SCEPUL Responded to Mr. Green’s Message:
Mr. Green,
A similar situation here in Murphy v. New Hanover. Commissioner Rob Zapple made defamatory and retaliatory remarks to Dr. Clyde Edgerton regarding Murphy v. New Hanover. I strongly recommend filing a lawsuit as you did with the others.
Commissioner Woody White has emailed me and stated that he had no official meeting that authorized Commissioner Zapple to make the statements—which leads me to believe the other commissioners could have met secretly.
Attorney Martha Thompson representing electing officials who also represent you as a citizen appears to be a conflict of interest since she is also defending Green v. City Manager Rick Howell. We are currently researching this matter and have this same question concerning Attorney Deborah Stagner. Attorney Stagner recently contracted as general counsel for New Hanover County Schools while defending several lawsuits brought on by citizens-including Murphy v. NHCS and Attorney Wayne Bullard.
Rev. Dante’ Murphy
At 10:46 AM May 26, 2020, Mr. Willie Green Made this announcement:
Rev. Murphy,
It is my intentions to file lawsuits for the defamatory comments made to the Shelby Star reporter by bothered gentlemen.
The question is, will the lawsuit be against the City of Shelby, if Mr. White and Mr. Causby were speaking in their capacity as Council members? Or will the City of Shelby acknowledge in a written response that the two were speaking as private citizens and was acting outside the scope of their duties by ignoring the attorney’s advice not to speak publicly, when they made those slanderous comments in the Shelby Star?
I want to give the City of Shelby the opportunity to respond to my questions first before I make my decision on a lawsuit.
Willie A. Green, Sr.