Schadenfreude

Those who visited my blog earlier today will surely notice that I have taken down the post most prominently featured on your previous visit.

Upon re-reading my earlier post I found nothing in what I wrote that was more "hurtful" or "over the top" than many other posts I have published. It was factual with a healthy dose of sarcasm. But, from the comments and emails I have received, something about this particular post obviously hit a nerve with a number of people.

As I often do when faced with a confusing situation, I turned to people I admire and respect for different perspectives. Throughout the day, I have had lengthy conversations with a few of those people, and they proposed a view that might have led people to respond differently to this particular posting.

Even though my posting specifically mentioned only Dennis Whitling, my suggestion that he might be selling his house to make restitution for his crimes was apparently seen as an attack on his entire family. As one adviser remarked, "if Dennis were single or his children were grown, there would likely have been a different response."

Dennis is not single, and his children are still young. As such, they too are victims of his crimes, and I would never consciously add to their pain. If I have done that, I sincerely apologize to Julianne Whitling and her children.

However, I will not apologize for commenting on Dennis Whitling's personal and professional demise.

To spend a year asserting that you are more enlightened than the masses and, as such, presuming you know what is best for them; to use your political position to force unwanted policies upon those you were elected to represent while labeling dissenters as "racists," "elitists" or "bigots" all the while stealing from those who trust you, is the height of hypocrisy.

And, a hypocrite of that order deserves ridicule when finally exposed.

Dennis Whitling: Disbarred

"I acknowledge that the material facts upon which the investigation are predicated are true." - Dennis Whitling

Given that I live in Orange County, I don't normally pay that much attention to the happenings in Durham, which is why I didn't pick up on this little story earlier in the day.

Thanks to a note from a good friend, I can update everyone on the latest chapter in the ongoing Dennis Whitling saga.

From the Durham section of the July 28th Herald-Sun:Attorney disbarred over fraud allegation

From staff reports

Jul 28, 2008

DURHAM -- Already under a Bull City indictment for embezzlement, attorney Dennis Alan Whitling has surrendered his law license and accepted disbarment.

A disbarment order dated July 18, but not previously made public, was issued after Whitling acknowledged in a sworn affidavit that he may have engaged in fraudulent financial transactions.

Whitling's legal woes began in February, when a Durham grand jury indicted him on allegations of stealing money from a Hillandale Road law firm.

In addition to a charge that he embezzled more than $100,000, the then-52-year-old Whitling was indicted for alleged corporate malfeasance, obtaining property by false pretenses and obstruction of justice.

Whitling was arrested but released under a $10,000 bond.

At about the same time, he resigned from a four-year stint on the Orange County school board.

Whitling is accused in the indictments of making off with money from the Durham law office of Thomas J. Stevens, where he worked from 1983 until September 2007, when he left to open his own practice.

He reportedly had maintained business accounts for the Stevens firm, issued its payroll checks and reconciled its financial statements.

Fiscal problems at the law firm became quickly apparent after Whitling departed, Durham Police Cpl. Bennie Bradley said in a court affidavit.

Accountants were summoned by Stevens and were "able to identify numerous discrepancies in Whitling's documentation of the firm's business transactions," Bradley wrote.

The accountants concluded that Whitling apparently made out 26 checks to himself in 2006 and 2007 -- 17 for amounts greater than authorized and the rest not authorized at all, according to Bradley.

In an affidavit submitted early this month to the N.C. State Bar, which oversees the conduct of lawyers, Whitling said he knew he was under investigation for "diverting to myself legal fees from an estate trust for which I was trustee."

Whitling said he was aware the investigation also encompassed allegations that he filed a false report, indicating various funds "had been disbursed to the law firm when in fact I disbursed the funds to myself.

"I acknowledge that the material facts upon which the investigation are predicated are true," Whitling wrote.

"My resignation is being submitted because I know that if charges were predicated upon the misconduct under investigation, I could not successfully defend against them," he said.

Whitling emphasized that his resignation as a lawyer was being "freely and voluntarily rendered" and was "not the result of coercion or duress."

He could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Though couched in a lawyerly tone, make no mistake, that is an admission of guilt.

I can only assume this is the first step in a plea bargain that will likely prevent Dennis from receiving the punishment he so richly deserves for breaking the trust of his employer of nearly 25 years, and of the people who elected him to represent them on the Orange County Board of Education.

I fear, once again, that it will be a case of justice denied.

4 out of 12 is bad. Isn't it?

I was reading the WRAL.com website this evening and noticed a story about how "most area schools" failed to make adequate yearly progress this past year based on a set of preliminary data.

As usual, I expected the article to focus on the Wake County schools with perhaps a brief mention of Durham County, but I didn't really expect anything to be included about Orange County. After all, as last year taught me, Orange County is less than forthcoming with its preliminary testing data.

But, to my surprise, the article said that "33 percent of schools in Orange and Cumberland counties met AYP." So, I thought this might be worth a closer look.

A link titled, "Preliminary 2007-08 AYP Results" was included in a sidebar to the WRAL story. Lo and behold, clicking through the links will ultimately allow you to see the preliminary results for each Orange County school.

As it turns out, one less Orange County elementary school successfully achieved AYP than last year - 3 of 7 - meaning four elementary schools failed. For 2006-07, only three elementary schools failed to make AYP - Central, Efland Cheeks and New Hope.

Interestingly, this year, one of those schools has improved its performance - even with new higher math standards - and joined the short list of higher performing Orange County schools.

And, that school is Central Elementary. The parents, teachers and students at Central should be celebrated for succeeding even as the bar was raised!

Unfortunately, not all of our other schools met the challenge. These preliminary results mean that at least four elementary schools will fail to make AYP, and be labeled "failing schools": Cameron Park, Efland Cheeks, Grady Brown and New Hope.

While this is not new territory for parents of children at Efland Cheeks and New Hope, it will likely come as a surprise to those with children at Cameron Park and Grady Brown.

Surely, there is something the new Orange County Board of Education can do to help these two new "failing schools."

Maybe the Board should consider something dramatic, like, perhaps, merging Cameron Park with Central, so that the higher performing children at Central can help raise the performance of the struggling children at Cameron Park through the "peer effect."

I am sure that both sides would agree as long as the newly merged school retains the traditional calendar.

It's that time of year again

Not only are children returning for another year at Hillsborough Elementary School, it is also time for the Orange County Board of Education to signal the course it will chart by choosing its leadership for the coming year.

In what has become a dominant message in the current Presidential campaign, the Board chose to embrace change and reject the failed "leadership" of Ted Triebel and Debbie Piscitelli.

In the new Board's first official act, it sent a positive message of change by wiping its slate clean of those responsible for the last two years of divisive failure and eroded public confidence. In a potential sign of rebirth on King Street, the Board chose two leaders with absolutely no connection to the Board's recent failures.

But, it apparently wasn't without drama.

Both Ted Triebel and Debbie Piscitelli sought to cling to the power they wielded with such a heavy hand over the past year. But, both of their efforts were doomed to failure as the majority of the Board unceremoniously turned them out of their leadership positions.

According to the News of Orange County, Ted Triebel's effort to remain the Board's Chairman failed on the first ballot as newly elected Board Member Steve Halkiotis was elected Chairman by a tally of 4 to 3.

Debbie Piscitelli fared somewhat better - or merely had her repudiation delayed - as she managed to tie newcomer Tony McKnight at three votes apiece (with one vote for Eddie Eubanks) on the first ballot. However, on the second ballot Debbie too was rejected as Tony garnered the required fourth vote.

With Liz Brown off doing whatever it is she does, Dennis Whitling pondering the possibility of spending his golden years behind bars, and both Ted and Debbie relegated to the sidelines, this Board is in a great position to begin re-building its trust within the community - last Monday night it took a huge first step.

I have high hopes for the coming year, but only time will tell if my hopes are well founded.