Torchlight’s Board of Directors quickly fired the management firm and McQueen after learning about NCDPI’s concerns. The state board terminated Torchlight’s charter in March after a NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) investigation turned up serious fiscal and management concerns. The school once enrolled more than 600 K-8 students. Torchlight Academy closed on June 30, following a rocky year dominated by headlines about McQueen’s mismanagement of the charter school.
I think that’s what happened here today, at least we took a step in that direction.” “I always think we should try to resolve things as community members and as family members. “I always enjoy when we can resolve things without the courts being involved,” McQueen said. McQueen, who was also the school’s longtime executive director, told Policy Watch that he welcomes the opportunity to settle the disagreement with his former employer.
“The concern was that we wanted to make certain that property wouldn’t continue to be lost in some way pending resolution of who owns the property,” Bowens said. Stephon Bowens, the board’s attorney, said the management firm agreed Friday to return the two SUVs but made no admission of having removed the televisions, laptops or other electronic equipment from the schools. The board also demanded that the management firm return two Ford Expeditions, 12 big-screen televisions and 23 laptops computers and tablets taken from the school between June 21-23. Torchlight’s board was granted a temporary restraining order last month to prevent the management firm and its owner Don McQueen from “taking, moving, secreting or destroying property” at the elementary and middle school. The management firm, Torchlight Academy Schools, LLC, and the board are in a dispute over ownership of certain assets in the wake of the State Board of Education closing the school for good due to egregious management and governance issues. Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins oversaw Friday’s hearing. The assets of the defunct Torchlight Academy charter school will be held in storage until a judge determines ownership, the school’s board of directors and the leader of its former management firm agreed Friday during a hearing in Wake County Superior Court. Don McQueen (Center) confers with lawyers Friday, June 8, 2022, in Wake County Superior Court.
0 kommentar(er)
