Wayne Week — May 12, 2024

WEEK Wayne

THE PROBLEM WITHIN

Two Wayne County public school teachers have been charged with taking indecent liberties with students since Gov. Roy Cooper signed a harsher set of penalties for the crime into law in late 2023.

But those two individuals are only part of a problem the local education community has been dealing with for the last several years.

BY KEN FINE

CONTENT WARNING

Some of the information in our cover story could be perceived as graphic in nature and could be upsetting to some readers, including those who might have experienced abuse or sexual assault.

MAY 12, 202 4

CONTENTS

4

Worth gets sixth delay

Former Wayne County Sheriff's Office

Maj. Christopher Worth is now set to appear in court two weeks before his alleged co-conspirator, who has already pleaded guilty, is sentenced.

EDITORIAL

EDITOR Ken Fine

EDITOR Renee Carey

DESIGN DIRECTOR Shan Stumpf

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Casey Mozingo

ADVERTISING

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Hallie Hulse Evans

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Stephanie Lack

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lara Landers

PUBLISHER

New Old North Media LLC

CONTACTS

EDITORS kfine@ newoldnorth .com rcarey@newoldnorth.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE hevans@newoldnorth.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE llanders@newoldnorth.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE slack@newoldnorth.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES advertising @newoldnorth.com

OFFICE

219 N. John Street

Goldsboro, N.C. 27530 919 - 648-9905

6 GHS asbestos removal approved

The Wayne County Board of Education voted to spend more than $231,000 to remove asbestos from the building Goldsboro High School students will soon move out of — and central services staff will move into.

12 Cover story

Two Wayne County public school teachers have been charged with taking indecent liberties with students since Gov. Roy Cooper signed a harsher set of penalties for the crime into law in late 2023. But those two individuals are only part of a problem the local education community has been dealing with for the last several years.

16 Title favorite still can't play at home

The Wayne Country Day baseball team earned a 1-seed and is an overwhelming favorite to bring home a NCISAA state championship, but months after the school asked a judge to toss out a lawsuit that is keeping the Chargers from playing on their diamond, the case is still on hold — and some parents are not happy.

20 Spectator

Hundreds of people converged on downtown Goldsboro May 2 to usher in the start of Center Street Jam season at The Hub. And if you missed out on the concert, don't worry. The next show is scheduled for this Thursday.

NEWS + VIEWS

Worth gets sixth delay as talks with Feds continue

The former Wayne County Sheriff’s Office major is now set to be arraigned just two weeks before his co-defendant, who pleaded guilty to the charges in March, is scheduled for sentencing.

BY KEN FINE AND RENEE CAREY

According to a court filing obtained by Wayne Week, a man who was, just a few months ago, one of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office’s highest-ranking officials is still working on a potential plea deal with the government that would allow him to avoid standing trial for alleged financial crimes his co-defendant has already pleaded guilty to.

Former WCSO Maj. Christopher Worth, through his attorneys, has asked for — and received — a sixth continuance from Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Myers II and is now set to be arraigned in June, two weeks before former WCSO Drug Unit Chief Michael Cox is scheduled to be sentenced for, among other things, his role in what federal prosecutors say was a bid-rigging

scheme that defrauded Wayne County.

(Cox also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and oxycodone.)

According to the filing, which was submitted by attorney Kelly Greene, Worth continues to “work in good faith with prosecutors for a non-trial resolution” to a saga that began with an FBI investigation and culminated in August 2023 when a grand jury handed down a sprawling 50-plus-page indictment that resulted in Cox and Worth being taken into custody.

And while Worth’s alleged crimes do not include the drug charges his former colleague pleaded guilty to March 27, should he be convicted of the 12 financial crimes-related

counts he is up against, he could spend decades behind bars.

According to the indictment, as soon as Worth was promoted to captain in charge of the WCSO’s Support Services division in 2016, he became responsible for “coordinating and vetting” bids from vendors on “various” contracts.

But while he was required to comply with certain procurement requirements “to ensure that county business was conducted with fairness and dignity,” the government alleges he used his position to ensure Cox’s company, Eastern Emergency Equipment, received contract after contract from the WCSO — acts prosecutors claim enriched both Worth and Cox.

&

For purchases between $1,000 and $2,500, Worth was required to obtain three independent quotes and award contracts to the lowest bidder.

For anything more expensive than $2,500, he was prohibited from hiring anyone to complete the work until a purchase order was approved and signed by Wayne County finance officers.

He was supposed to prepare a one-page “Memorandum of Award” that provided the

identities of the three vendors and a list of the three quotes.

He was expected to “never discuss one vendor’s pricing and delivery terms with another vendor” to avoid “unfair competition.”

He was supposed to exercise “honesty and integrity.”

But Worth stands accused of failing all of the above.

And Cox, in response to a question from Myers inside a Wilmington courtroom nearly six weeks ago, admitted that the narrative outlined in the indictment was true — that he did, in fact, work with Worth to ensure EEE was hired for jobs associated with the “upfit” of WCSO vehicles, including Sheriff Larry Pierce’s 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe.

“Did you do it?” Myers asked.

“Yes sir,” Cox replied.

It is unclear if the former Drug Unit chief would be called to testify against Worth should he fail to reach a deal with prosecutors and go to trial.n

Any additional developments in the case will be reported in Wayne Week and potential breaking news involving the Sheriff’s Office will appear on NewOldNorth.com

Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce and former WCSO Maj. Christopher Worth.

Asbestos removal at GHS approved by School Board

It has been 12 years since a report identified the presence of the material inside the school, but “more research” identified “other areas” of concern.

BY RENEE CAREY

Several months after the Wayne County Board of Education approved plans to move Goldsboro High School into the building on campus currently occupied by Wayne School of Engineering, board members voted to remove from the historic facility that will soon be the Cougars’ former home — and the future home of district staff from the Exceptional Children, School Nutrition, Federal Programs, Human Resources, and Testing departments — asbestos that was identified more than a decade ago.

Wayne County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent for Support Services Dr. Tim Harrell told the board that “there was a concern” about “additional asbestos” not identified when an inspection was completed in 2012 — that

“more research was done” and “other areas” of note were identified.

And while he acknowledged that the district has “tapped out our ESSER funds,” Harrell said he still believes the $231,000 it will take to mitigate the problem can be covered using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief money.

Given the apparent conflict — that the money was spent but could still, somehow, be used — board member Chris West asked for clarification.

“So, this will be paid from our ESSER funds?” he asked.

“That’s our goal,” Harrell replied.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, public school districts are required to

Continued on page 8

develop, maintain, and update asbestos management plans and keep a copy at each individual school. The plans are “required to document the recommended asbestos response actions, the location of the asbestos within the school, and any action taken to repair and remove the material.”

Harrell told the board that window glazing and calking in the main building and the main tunnel that runs underneath the building have a concern of “being contaminated at this time.”

Monday was not the first time in recent history that concerns have arisen about the condition of GHS’ nearly-100-year-old “A Building.”

Back in March 2022, a group of students spoke out at a Goldsboro City Council meeting — blowing the whistle on everything from what they characterized as rotting ceilings and floors and leaks to wasp, flea and roach infestations.

They decried the fact that heat didn’t function properly in the winter and the air conditioning was “always broken” during warmer months.

They showed pictures of exposed wood floors with original tile that was falling apart, active leaks, and paint peeling off the walls.

And they told stories about cleanliness

issues they said were so severe that the school’s maintenance staff could not keep up with them, including a bathroom toilet that had been stopped up for four months.

Christopher Smith, who has since graduated, said he and his classmates felt problems inside GHS were not taken

the city, had been neglected to the point it was “mocked and looked down upon.”

“And I cannot help but to ask myself a question that you should be asking yourselves,” she said then. “Would this be the case if this school was full of kids of a different color?”

off about the fact that the building had been allowed to deteriorate in the first place. And now that the asbestos is being removed after the decision was made to move the student body and replace them with non-classroom WCPS staff, some of those same people say they find it troubling that students were ever expected to occupy a building with asbestos concerns bad enough to require nearly a quarter-of-amillion-dollar remediation.

According to the National Cancer Institute, asbestos is a known human carcinogen that can cause mesothelioma and cancers of the lung, larynx, and ovaries. But it also acknowledges that while there is “no safe level of asbestos exposure,” health complications generally require prolonged exposure to — and inhalation of — fibers.

seriously because of the population that attends the school.

“We have problems that people look over because they see Goldsboro High School and they think, ‘Oh, that’s just Goldsboro High,’ or, ‘It is so ghetto over there,’” he told the council.

And former student Desiree Thomas said the building, which used to be a showpiece in

News of the students’ presentation, which broke on NewOldNorth.com, resulted in headlines across the state.

WCPS responded the next day by dispatching several crews to the campus to fix conditions depicted in the photographs shared with the City Council.

But local legislators would visit the school — and residents and GHS alumni sounded

And the EPA notes that those asbestos fibers are typically only released into the air when asbestos-containing material is disturbed during demolition work like building or home maintenance, repair, and remodeling — limiting the concern that older school buildings that contain the material pose a real threat to the health of students and staff.

Former GHS principal and the board member who currently represents the district that populates the school, Patricia Burden, was not present for Harrell’s presentation Monday.n

THOUGHTS

THE GREAT HALL OF LOST OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunity cost. It is what happens when time better spent somewhere else is wasted.

Once it happens, you can’t get it back.

And if you look at the recent history of the Goldsboro City Council — say, the last decade — it’s been commonplace.

It can take many forms.

There is grandstanding by politicians who are looking for a way to attract attention.

There are so-called “activists” who have an ax to grind and use every opportunity to derail productive discussion into another rant.

And finally, there are representatives who do not really know what they are talking about — who send public bodies on wild goose chases because someone told them they should “look into that.”

The last is the most galling, because it is often on a whim or planted by someone looking to stir up trouble — and it typically ends in embarrassing ignorance that is nothing but a waste of the time it took to “study” the nonsense.

And none of that work, by the way, is ever actually done by the person who calls for it.

Our favorite?

Those who turn every single little thing that comes across a board’s agenda into a conspiracy or chance to lament the unfairness of it all.

People like that are easily identifiable because they only seem to open their mouths when a camera is rolling. And those of us who have followed local boards for decades can tell you that it’s really just a way of looking like they know what they are doing when they are clearly in over their head.

So, when the City Council recently spent several hours, again, discussing downtown parking and the rules for closing city streets — and bickering and jawing about things that should have been “easy ones” — it was a disappointing throwback to something we hoped we had gotten rid of when this new crop of councilmembers was elected.

But it was also revealing — arming local residents with valuable insight into some of the people who will be making decisions on their behalf for the next three-plus years.

Before we go there, it is worth noting that we have been largely impressed with the majority of those who were elected to serve Goldsboro in November.

They have made tough but necessary decisions on everything from much-needed police salary increases and how to begin to resolve the city’s homelessness crisis to who is leading staff inside City Hall.

And because of that — and because many members of the council are newly-elected — we, and the community, have given them some grace.

But now, we are six months into their respective terms.

So, while they will still have to learn as they go to some extent, those living in the Wayne County seat cannot excuse away missed opportunities.

Because when it comes to several of the critical issues facing this community, there is not a single second to waste.

That is why it was so disheartening to watch another marathon discussion about street closures and parking restrictions.

It demonstrated a complete lack of urgency about the things that could actually make or break this city’s future.

So, rather than take the time to delve into the most important thing discussed at Monday’s meeting — the firm hired to lobby on behalf of the county in Washington and what would be expected of it — we just gave it a spit shine and moved on.

No tough questions for Friends of Seymour Johnson about the debacle that was the complete blind side of the decision to shut down a fighter squadron and convert the 4th Fighter Wing into a training unit.

No deep dive into what will be expected of the new lobbyist or pertinent questions about what the game plan actually is this time.

No discussion about why, as House Majority Leader John Bell boldly put it, so many people “fell asleep at the wheel” and jeopardized this community’s future.

There was no time for that.

Just a little bit of song and dance and an acceptance that “we are in front of the right people this time” and while we “won’t know” whether or not we’re doomed until “the votes happen,” people have a “good feeling” about the new firm.

Well, OK.

That should go well.

Sigh.

We understand why none of the above happened.

It really is quite simple.

Our new council gets mired down sometimes — mostly because its members don’t want to make anyone upset.

And that, unfortunately, is not how effective leaders operate.

Being “nice” and walking on eggshells to avoid hurt feelings is part of the reason the 4th Fighter Wing’s mission is in jeopardy in the first place.

It is why city employees monopolize on-street parking downtown — which, many contend, is the main reason there is a “parking problem” in the city’s core to begin with.

It is why the council approved a street

from some of our current council members.

But we need more.

Now.

Because no, Councilman White, there is nothing wrong with the fact that N.C. Freedom Fest booked two country music acts for this year’s event.

And no, that doesn’t mean the event has a “diversity” problem and is not “inclusive.”

First of all, to imply that country music is “white” shows a complete lack of knowledge about the history of the genre.

And whether you meant to or not — and whether they will choose to respond to you or not — making that comment was likely

Our new council gets mired down sometimes — mostly because its members don't want to make anyone upset. And that, unfortunately, is not how effective leaders operate.

closure for a street market against the advice of city staff — and now, after realizing doing so might have set an inconvenient precedent, angered organizers of the market by trying to change the rules on the fly.

And it’s why nobody called out veiled criticism of the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. and N.C. Freedom Fest by a sitting councilmember.

Being the “bad guy” is not always easy — or politically expedient.

But here’s the problem.

Nothing is ever completely, 100 percent, down the middle “fair” in the minds of all parties.

Ask any parent how often their prudent, “right” decisions are “popular” with those they are charged with acting in the best interest of.

And this community has lost many leaders who understood that.

Think the late Rick Pridgen, Chuck Allen, and Ray Mayo.

We didn’t always agree with them, but they stood up and said “no” when it mattered.

And to be fair, we have seen bursts of that

comment on whether its musical lineup meets the “something for everyone” test?

Of course not.

And there is absolutely nobody who would expect you to because most logical people understand that no event could ever meet that standard.

So, why, when we are facing a gun violence epidemic, homelessness and addiction crises, water safety concerns, and real questions about the future of our Air Force base are we wasting time with yet another red herring?

Why, when Freedom Fest represents an opportunity to stand behind Team Seymour, are we lobbing grenades at its organizers?

And why did nobody on that board call it out?

Well, we’ve already told you.

But fortunately, we don’t have to worry about getting re-elected or protecting a legacy.

And we will not stand by silent while what could become a recurring embarrassment for our city emerges on one of our boards.

Want to be impressive for the cameras?

Be bold enough to take on the real challenges facing Goldsboro.

The other might win you a few high-fives from those who seek to divide us, but you will find that those “gotcha” moments could come at a cost this community is no longer willing to stand for.

We believe most Goldsboro residents feel the same way.

They want to focus on the true problems facing this community — crime, poverty, education, homelessness, addiction, and bringing development and jobs right here, right now.

felt by the organizers of the event.

They are volunteers, by the way.

They are black, white, Hispanic, male, female, young, and old.

More importantly, they are giving of themselves to send a message to Washington some of our local leaders seem to have forgotten to send over the last several years.

And a real leader would have called out that statement — immediately — for what it was: absolute nonsense.

Because the music is not what Freedom Fest is about.

Those who come are there to honor our military — all races, ages, and ethic backgrounds — no matter what is blaring over the speakers.

And no, not every gathering has to get the diversity stamp from those who cannot seem to understand that race does not have to factor into every single decision.

To put it a different way, there are downtown events for everyone in Goldsboro.

What genres will be represented at the Juneteenth event this year?

Will you, Mr. White, feel compelled to

They don’t have time for anything else because the future of the county that raised them is on the line.

It’s time the council follows suit — even if it means having the courage to make someone, including a fellow councilmember, “mad.”

We’ll make it easy for them.

First, there is no parking problem downtown if the council — and Goldsboro’s interim manager — take a hard line on employees who are swallowing up on-street parking on a daily basis.

And as for street closures, you are never going to make everyone happy, so make a decision and stick to it.

But that also means that if you force one street race to end by 10 a.m., you can’t, five minutes later, vote to allow another to operate until 12:30 p.m.

See how easy that was?

Maybe now we can get back to the hard stuff — you know, the stuff like gun violence, opioids, forever chemicals, and homelessness that, quite literally, have lifeand-death implications.n

THE PROBLEM WITHIN

Two Wayne County public school teachers have been charged with taking indecent liberties with students since Gov. Roy Cooper signed a harsher set of penalties for the crime into law in late 2023. But those two individuals are only part of a problem the local education community has been dealing with for the last several years.

BY KEN FINE

EDITOR’S NOTE

Some of the information in the following story could be perceived as graphic in nature and could be upsetting to some readers, including those who might have experienced abuse or sexual assault. Please proceed with that in mind.

ACharles B. Aycock English teacher who allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse with a sophomore in his classroom after hours.

Another who allegedly had a monthslong relationship with a teenage girl at Southern Wayne.

A history teacher who admitted to, among other things, buying a 15-year-old student a sex toy and being physically intimate with her in his Charles B. Aycock classroom.

A female teacher who resigned after an investigation was launched into her alleged relationship with a male student at Eastern Wayne — one that saw her, in front of coworkers, have him pick her up from a downtown Goldsboro bar when she was intoxicated.

A former Faith Christian teacher who prosecutors say molested two 11-year-old girls.

A University of Mount Olive crosscountry coach who, before he was hired, allegedly had sex with a student he met at a party when he held the same position at Forestview High School in Gastonia.

A principal who, after being charged with the rape of a 12-year-old on the Dillard Academy campus, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound before lawmen could take him into custody.

A high school gym teacher who was accused, on multiple occasions, of having inappropriate contact — and relationships — with teenage girls, but left Wayne County Public Schools before the allegations could result in an arrest.

A high school coach who allegedly had on ongoing relationship with a female student-athlete.

And, most recently, a Charles B. Aycock teacher who was arrested May 3 after a female filed a report alleging that during the 2014-15 school year, the two were in a relationship.

All of the above has unfolded in Wayne County in the last six years.

In 2023, compelled to speak out because of instances like those that have unfolded in Wayne County, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt advocated for harsher penalties for teachers accused of taking indecent liberties with children.

“We know the overwhelming majority of educators will never come anywhere close to violating the rights of students,” Truitt said. “However, I firmly believe that one instance of sexual misconduct is too many.”

According to data she provided at the time — the numbers still reflect the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s most upto-date accounting — there have been 124 reported instances of sexual misconduct by educators involving students that resulted in a license suspension, revocation, or voluntary surrender since 2016.

But to Truitt, a Class F felony seemed lenient.

So, she joined the fight to convince legislators to pass the “Protect Our Students Act,” which would increase penalties both for offenders and those who fail to report misconduct.

By early October, it was signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper after breezing through the state House and Senate.

And today, an indecent liberties charge involving a teacher is now a Class G felony.

Truitt characterized it as a victory.

“This legislation protects and informs students, while outlining and increasing the penalties for offenders,” she said. “We know school safety is top of mind for so many across the state. This is another important step to prioritize student well-being in school.”

A month later, Southern Wayne social studies teacher Hunter Grantham became the first local educator charged under the new penalty structure — the result, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office detectives said, of his participation in an alleged “inappropriate teacher/student relationship” that lawmen

said, “did occur and had been ongoing for several months.”

And six months after Grantham’s arrest, Charles B. Aycock English teacher Andrew Richards was charged after an investigation alleged that he, according to the WCSO, “was engaged in a relationship” with a female student during the 2014-15 school year.

Those two cases reflect 10 percent of the state average of 20 that come to light each year. And they are just the ones that have, to date, resulted in arrests — and do not include

In North Carolina, between January 2016 and October 2022:

124 instances of sexual misconduct by educators involving students resulting in a license suspension, revocation, or voluntary surrender.

20 The average number of suspensions, revocations, or voluntary surrenders per year that are related to sexual misconduct involving students.

SOURCE: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

allegations that have been flying for months on social media sites, YouTube channels, and teachers’ lounges across the county.

Wayne County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Whichard has responded to media outlets both times a WCPS educator was charged this year.

And he, in a statement provided to Wayne Week, said he has “absolutely no tolerance” for crimes against students — and no problem reaching out to NCDPI to recommend suspension or revocation of a teaching license when necessary.

“As superintendent, and a former assistant superintendent of human resources, I have absolutely no tolerance for misconduct by employees, especially if it involves a student,” Whichard said. “The health and safety of our students is paramount and I expect every school campus to be a safe haven for students while they are in our care.”

And while neither he, nor district spokesman Ken Derksen, would comment on specific cases — or put a number on how many, if any, investigations are currently ongoing — WCPS’ official stance was clear.

“WCPS can confirm that if a principal or the Human Resources Department has a report or a suspicion to believe potential inappropriate conduct by a staff member involving a student may have occurred, the matter will be fully investigated,” Derksen said. “Law enforcement will also be notified if suspected misconduct is a criminal offense.”

Twenty years ago, the U.S. Department of Education commissioned a study which aimed to quantify the prevalence of educator sexual misconduct.

It found that nearly 10 percent of the nation’s student body had reported some level of inappropriate behavior.

Nearly 7 percent said they had experienced

Continued on page 14

Ryder Webb

Andrew Richards

Hunter Grantham

Continued from page 13

sexual contact and 9 percent reported teachers using suggestive language or showing them sexual images or notes.

That, the report concluded, meant that millions of American children were victims.

Similar studies conducted since have reported similar numbers as recently as 2015.

But state legislators and the governor hope that the “Protect Our Students Act” will have an impact.

And even if harsher penalties do not stop would-be offenders from “grooming” students and committing the crimes, another requirement of the new law might, they hope, embolden students to fight back — and report inappropriate behavior before physical abuse can occur.

Starting next year, schools will be required to show every 6th-through12th-grader in North Carolina a video produced by the Center for Safer Schools, which “serves as a hub of information and technical assistance on school safety to faculty and staff, law enforcement, youthserving community agencies, juvenile justice officials, policymakers, parents/guardians, and students,” according to NCDPI.

Derksen confirmed that all WCPS schools will show the video during the first five days of the 2024-25 school year, as required under the new law.

“WCPS plans to play the Center for Safer Schools video in homerooms,” he said. “In schools that do not utilize homerooms, the training will be handled by class.”

Of the ten instances that have been reported in Wayne County since 2018, only three have been adjudicated.

firmly believe that one instance of sexual

“ We know the overwhelming majority of educators will never come anywhere close to violating the rights of students. However, I

misconduct is too many. This legislation protects and informs students, while outlining and increasing

the penalties for

offenders. We know school safety is top of mind for so many across the state. This is another important step to prioritize student well-being in school.”

STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION CATHERINE TRUITT

And two of the alleged perpetrators pleaded guilty “pursuant to Alford” — a guilty plea that acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to convict the accused while they are allowed to maintain their innocence.

Only Ryder Webb, the history teacher who admitted to, among other things, buying a 15-year-old student a sex toy and being physically intimate with her in his Charles B. Aycock classroom, is currently in prison.

And that was part of the impetus behind the “Protect Our Students Act” — to ensure no adult responsible for the education of children feels emboldened to prey upon those left in their care.

“We need to tighten our restrictions around this incredibly heinous activity that we are seeing more and more occur in our middle and high schools,” Truitt said.

Editor’s note: This is the first of several stories on this issue that will appear in Wayne Week over the next few months.

STAY TUNED

For the first time since our Best of the Boot contest began, there will be a paper ballot and it's just for YOU, Wayne Week subscribers, so get ready to vote!

CHARGERS EARN HOME(ISH) FIELD ADVANTAGE

The Wayne Country Day baseball team got the 1-seed — and is heavily favored to win an NCISAA state championship later this month. But the Chargers are still not playing on their campus diamond as a lawsuit filed by a property owner looms.

BY KEN FINE

The 23-win Wayne Country Day baseball team began its quest for a state championship Friday as the overwhelming favorite to take home a title later this month — earning the No. 1 seed in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 2A bracket and staring down potential rematches with teams they have already beaten handily this season.

ButtheChargerswillnotgettoenjoy the typical homefield advantage that would,undernormalcircumstances,see them play on the WCDS campus until the championship series the weekend of May 17 — assuming, of course, the team advances that far — as a judge remains undecided about whether or not to throw out a lawsuit that has left the team paying to play at the Carolina Athletic Park off Buck Swamp Road for thelasttwoyears.

And while they did not feel comfortable putting their names on criticism of the school for “backing down” to what they characterized as a “frivolous lawsuit” for fear their children might face repercussions as they chase athletic immortality, several parents of players told Wayne Week they are not OK with, as one man put it, “letting someone run our boys offtheirhomefield.”

That someone, a retired Army brigadiergeneral,claimedinacomplaint filed Aug. 9 that homerun balls hit by the Chargers during games and practice have repeatedly damaged his property and triggered combatinduced post-traumatic stress disorder — and asked a judge to grant him a restraining order for what he characterizedas“trespassing.”

But the school would ultimately fight back against the lawsuit in November — requesting a dismissal while threatening to take legal action of itsown.

Nearly six months later, though, the caseremainsstalled.

Hereisthebackground:

Ralph Griffin, whose home is locatedonalotbeyondWCDS’ baseballdiamond’s outfield, filed a lawsuit against the school and asked for five different sets of damages “in excess of$25,000.”

Thegrievance,whichwasobtainedby Wayne Week,allegesthefollowing: Griffin and his wife own a home

located at 411 Tryon Drive — property that “shares a boundary” with WCDS — and at the time they purchased the property, there was a “mature line of trees” along the boundary. But the trees had to be removed “in order to accommodate drainage equipment necessary for the building permitting process in order to construct the Griffin’s home.”

And with the trees gone, baseballs hit during the Chargers’ practices and games “regularly and repeatedly cross over the property boundary,” and have “caused and continue to cause property damage to the Griffin’s home and property.”

The lawsuit also alleges that Griffin, having served in the Army for nearly 40 years, developed post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition that has been exacerbated by the stress caused by his issues with the WCDS baseball team — that since 2018, when balls land in his yard and “collide with his house,” the veteran “begins to experience increased symptoms and interruptions from his PTSD,” including “disrupted sleep, restlessness, increased fear, nightmares, and traumatic flashbacks to service-related memories of explosions.”

His desired resolution to the matter is as follows:

• The first claim for relief is for what the

lawsuit alleges is “Trespass to Real Property.” Griffin is seeking damages in the amount of “in excess of $25,000.”

• The second claim for relief is for what the lawsuit alleges is “Negligence.” Griffin is seeking damages in the amount of “in excess of $25,000.”

• The third claim for relief is for what the lawsuit alleges is “Negligent Infliction of Severe Emotional Distress.” Griffin is seeking damages in the amount of “in excess of $25,000.”

• The fourth claim for relief is for what the lawsuit alleges is “Intentional Infliction of Severe Emotional Distress.” Griffin is seeking damages in the amount of “in excess of $25,000.”

• The fifth claim for relief asks for a “Permanent Injunction.” Griffin has asked for a jury trial, damages in the amount of “in excess of $25,000,” and a restraining order that could prevent the Wayne Country Day baseball team from “causing trespass to (the Griffin’s) property from baseball hits from (WCDS) onto (the Griffin’s) property.”

Nearly three months later, the school, through its attorney, Savannah Story, argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed — citing that WCDS believes Griffin’s claims are “barred by the statute of limitations” and factually inaccurate. And it demanded, among other things, that

Continued on page 18

John D. Lewis Gaston Lewis

the retired solider, who the school claims created the problem by knowingly purchasing a lot behind a 50-year-old baseball field and cutting down trees that would have guarded his home from longballs, pay its legal fees.

The school denied that balls were hit into Griffin’s yard “regularly and repeatedly.”

“(WCDS) has minimal baseball games and practice activities that cause baseballs hit by (its team’s) players and other baseball teams to cross the boundary,” the Defendant’s Motions, Answer & Affirmative Defenses reads.

And it denied that baseballs “currently continue to trespass onto and damage (Griffin’s) property.”

But perhaps the most interesting defense offered by WCDS is that Griffin, himself, was negligent — that when he purchased the property beyond the school’s baseball diamond, he was aware that the ballfield existed and still chose to build a home and to remove the tree barrier that would have protected it from homerun balls.

“(Griffin) purchased the property described in his complaint with full knowledge that (WCDS’s) property was used as a baseball field. Further, (Griffin) includes in his complaint that he removed trees from his property that provided an additional barrier

'You know, we pay a lot of money to send our kids to this school and the lawsuit itself is pretty disappointing, but the school has really let these boys down.'

to reduce the number of baseballs that enter his property,” the school’s response reads. “Defendant’s property has been used as a baseball field for over fifty years, the use has been open and notorious, and the substantial identity of the easement has not changed for at least twenty years. Therefore, any allegation off trespass against (WCDS) must fail.”

It is unclear when the judge will rule on the school’s request to dismiss or whether, if he were to toss the lawsuit in the coming days, the Chargers would move back to their home field should they still be alive in the playoffs.

But the parents who spoke to Wayne Week on background said whatever happens, the “damage has been done.”

They characterized the circumstances as everything from “unfortunate” and “sad” to “complete and utter bull (expletive removed).”

“You know, we pay a lot of money to send our kids to this school and the lawsuit itself is pretty disappointing, but the school has really let these boys down,” one of the parents said. “And mark my words, the way this situation has been handled is going to have consequences for Country Day and this program. So, I want them to focus and go out there and get what they deserve — that state championship. But I, for one, am never gonna forget what went on here. It’s unforgivable.” n

the SPECTATOR

Jammin'

Center Street Jam is officially back — and downtown Goldsboro saw hundreds converge on The Hub May 2 to celebrate and take in some tunes. If you missed it, not to worry. Another one will unfold this Thursday.

Photos by Casey Mozingo

W

E W E

C

A N C A N

I M P A C T T H E L I V E S O F O V E R

OUR MISSION: NNECTED,

1 7 , 0 0 0

Did you know that United Way of Wayne County has been a part of the Wayne County Community for 97 years? & &

To connect our community members with programs referrals in an effort to restore education, health wellness, financial stability, and basic needs.

AN SCAPE DESIGN OF GOLDSBORO, INC.