RALEIGH – The Blue Ridge Community College’s Board of Trustees was censured Friday for its actions after an investigative audit in January found multiple financial violations involving the school’s baseball program. The expression of disapproval comes after talks failed between the school and the state to resolve some of the concerns listed in the audit report.
The censure took the form of a resolution approved during a special meeting called to address Blue Ridge Community College. It specifically deals with the board’s failure to monitor the actions of Blue Ridge Community College President David Sink and his involvement with the athletics department.
It also includes three specific actions for the board of trustees to perform by Jan. 31. The board must make full restitution to the state of funds that have been misdirected to support athletics since 2002, cease to use state funds for the purpose of supporting athletic program, and recover for the school fair market value for the use of college athletic facilities for private athletic activities performed by coaches.
From 2002 to 2005, the baseball program had expenses of $174,000, according to the audit.
State Board of Community Colleges Chair Hilda Pinnix-Ragland said the censure would allow the system to move on from the controversy. Community colleges and trustees members had attempted to solve the issue previously, but disagreements in what needed to be done led to the censure.
“We will follow the law,” she said. “A major concern is the accountability of state funds.”
According to an Asheville Citizen-Times online report, no one from Blue Ridge Community College attended the meeting.
The dispute started with an investigative audit in January that found, among other things, that Sisk approved a $4,501.29 payment to a landlord for back rent of baseball players without adequate documentation. The landlord was Joe Spearman, a member of the school’s Board of Trustees. According to the audit, coach Damon Towe and Spearman had a verbal contract to assign players to live in the apartment complex, with funds to pay for rent coming from work study funds. However, there was no written agreement of the contract.
Towe was also found to have diverted at least $7,298 to his own private business. He also worked without oversight from school officials. The audit also found that Sink was negligent in addressing concerns regarding Towe.
“The State Board of Community Colleges does hereby censure and condemn the failures of the Trustees of Blue Ridge Community College to provide proper oversight of [Sink] in the management and administration of the College in accordance with statutory law, administrative regulation, and policies adopted by the board,” the censure resolution states.
On the school’s Web site, Blue Ridge officials say they have addressed many of the concerns from the community college system, including placing Towe on one-year probation.