"I value honesty, openness, hard work, and integrity. If elected, I promise to bring those qualities to the School Board."
- Ted Triebel (quoted from his 2006 Board of Education campaign brochure)
- Ted Triebel (quoted from his 2006 Board of Education campaign brochure)
Many people know that Orange County Board of Education Member Ted Triebel was in an auto accident this past November. Many also know that he was injured in that accident.
What few - if any - knew before today's Durham Herald-Sun was that Ted was cited by the State Highway Patrol for DWI in that accident.
[Update: WRAL.com posted a notice of Ted's DUI charges on Feb. 12 and The News of Orange County posted a short blurb on Feb. 13. The posting by The News of Orange County says to expect "more information" in Wednesday's edition.}
According to the article, Ted and his wife both admitted that he had been drinking before getting behind the wheel (without his seat belt) and crashing his car.
Below you can see the citation issued as a result of the accident.
On the right side you can clearly see that the responding Trooper marked line 5, stating that there was "probable cause to believe" Ted "did unlawfully and willfully operate a (motor) vehicle on a street or highway while subject to an impairing substance" in violation of NC law - in short, Drunk Driving.
Of course, Ted (like his predecessor as Chairman of the Orange County Board of Education) is innocent until either found guilty or (like Dennis) he admits his crimes. However, I find it hard to believe that a State Trooper would go to the trouble of writing such a citation at a single-vehicle accident unless confident of his "probable cause."Ted will have his time in court to respond to the charges against him, and according to the North Carolina Court System, that time is 9:00 am on Tuesday, February 24.
Unless Ted is fully exonerated by the District Court, (and I don't mean a plea to a lesser charge) the Board of Education must attempt to salvage some of its credibility by initiating a Full Board Review as outlined in its own Code of Ethics and immediately remove Ted from the Board for what the Code calls "immoral or disreputable conduct."
Hopefully, it will not come to that and Ted will follow Dennis Whitling's example and immediately resign his position for the good of the Board and Orange County Schools.
18 comments:
Didn't Ted used to teach Driver's Education at Orange High? What a great example he has set both as a teacher and elected official.
You have got to be kidding. You really think Ted is going to resign? This is the guy who was so arrogant that he decided he knew better than parents. This was the guy who called you all a bunch of racists and misogynists. This is the guy who is entitled to do what he wants, when he wants, and to whomever he wants because he served in the Navy.
He won't resign. He'll make some revelation about how he is going to turn over a new leaf and he'll stay right there. In fact, he'll probably run for reelection. He is not subject to the same rules as us. He is better than us and if you don't believe me just ask him.
CG
Regarding "openness and honesty", how honest was he with the rest of the board members. What did they know and when? Did he tell them immediately on return from the hospital or only recently? How come none of them are quoted in the article? I think we should expect them to be open and honest about that. Looks like he either kept it from them or they kept it quiet for him. Isn't it reasonable for parents to know who we can or can not trust?
Steve C.
How did he manage to keep it a secret for three months? How did the papers not cover it? Wow, just goes to show how much pull he's got! He will probably get out of it!
Never mind, I found it. Ted was "a Driver Education Instructor". From his election website at: http://triebel.home.mindspring.com/
"Triebel holds a Bachelor of Science degree (Engineering), a Master of Public Administration, and in 1995 earned a NC Certification in Middle School Education. He has spent considerable time within the OCS in various capacities, including work as a Math and Reading tutor at C.W. Stanford Middle School for "at-risk" students (1996-97), an OCS substitute teacher (1996-99), and a Driver Education Instructor, classroom and on-road, during summers 1997-2002."
Damn that Google.
Anonymous at 8:52 AM
He does seem to have some pull with someone, or maybe he intimidated the board into silence. I recall what the board did to Keith Cook and he did not even break the law or endanger anybody's life. They had a public hearing and demanded he resign from the chair if not the board. Why is it any diferent now? Where is the outcry? Will anyone on the board have the courage to do the right thing?
HJ in Efland
http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/t/t065.htm
If you look at the bottom paragraph, it states Ted was trying to avoid a car in his lane. I wonder who wrote this. Ted came home from the hospital 2 days after his son was killed. I can’t imagine…
Anonymous @ 9:06 PM -
Thank you for posting the link to that site.
I emailed the people who maintain the site and provided a link to the Herald-Sun article.
They have since changed Ted's bio to remove his spin from the accident description.
I am so sad for Ted. Please be kind to him. He has suffered a great loss and needs to know that this community has more to offer than just poison darts. I believe that we can extend an olive branch and be an example of how a close-knit community can be there for each other.
I have made many mistakes in my life - some of which were made during the merger fight. I cannot imagine what he is going through.
Tink's Mom
So he is lying to the whole POW network too. Never saw a drunk admit he had a problem. Still have not. Resign Ted. Then seek professional help. We really don't want to go along on another of your trips.
For those who missed the original update on Ted's accident on the POW Network site, here is what it originally said:
"Ted's accident was apparently caused by him trying to avoid a car coming in the opposite direction that was drifting over into Ted's lane. The car flipped a number of times....."
An olive branch?? What?? He was drunk driving. Do you realize he could have killed someone. I have zero tolerance for drunk drivers no matter who it is!
What about lead by example? I understand that the man has had a terrble loss... but it does not excuse him to risk the lives of others.
I could care less if he is cast off the board for his actions, but if he indeed was caught for a DUI, then he needs to be charged just like everyone else and it should not be covered up-no matter what his position in the community!
He isnt going to resign and he will just blame it all on HES. It's HES fault he drinks. It's HES fault he drives drunk. It's HES fault he crashed. It's HES fault he got a ticket. It's HES fault the newspapers got the story. Its all a damn conspiracy! Yep. Nothing more than a common drunk who's problems are all of someone elses fault. Sad but typical. Nope he is staying and this will not end well for HES and the rest of the kids. In his mind, it's all our fault.
Is there nobody on the board with the grapes to privately ask him to resign and, if he refuses, ask him publicly? Is there not one board member who will speak out abainst this or file a complaint about it. Would they if it were Keith Cook? He never broke the law, yet the board demanded his resignation. Why are the consequences for breaking the law lower than those for plagiarism? They should not be. And what about last year? What if it were one of the two board members that stood in their way rather than one of their partners-in-crime. You know Debbie and Susan would be tripping all over Liz to be the first to host a public lynching.
Ted is going through a couple of bad patches right now. One of them was an unexpected tragedy, but his DWI was to be expected given his history and it was all of his own doing. I feel for him about his son, but that really doesn't have any bearing on the disposition of his DWI and board service. In fact, it is insulting to the memory of his son, who by all accounts was an exemplary human being, to make any equivocation of the loss of his life and Ted's previous, present, and doubtless future drinking.
Tonight's meeting should reveal something about the true character of this board. If this comes down to "who" misbehaved rather than "what" was done then the moral compass of this board is likened unto that of Captain Jack Sparrow: it points to that which one wants most without regard for universal constants.
Patrick S.
Just for the sake of accuracy, the 2004 board did not have to demand Keith Cook's resignation as Chair. Keith resigned before any action was taken.
"I am so sad for Ted. Please be kind to him. He has suffered a great loss and needs to know that this community has more to offer than just poison darts."
This is a very valid point. But at what time do we hold our elected officials accountable for their actions? Ted did not report to the School Board until 3 months after his behavior occurred that he was charged with driving while impaired. Did he have a duty to report his indiscretion? Would a person of integrity conceal this charge? If Ted had "fessed up" that he was charged, I'd have a more tolerant mindset towards Ted. But he didn't "fess up" until 3 months later. Just like Watergate, the crime itself wasn't as bad as the coverup that followed.
People make mistakes every day. I love giving people the benefit of the doubt. I gave Dennis Whitling the benefit of the doubt until it became clear that he was embezzling funds from his former employer.
The Board, in the last few years, has acted recklessly and with total abandonment what is best for our community. They hold themselves unaccountable. How can we hold our children accountable when our elected officials commit crimes and are not totally transparent with their indiscretions?
I do not personally support Keith Cook the politician, but I have respect for Keith Cook the man in that he admitted that he plagiarized a speech. He was willing to take a stand for what was right instead of what was best for himself. There is a double standard with this situation, and no one wants to address it. Why are people more tolerant when a white man breaks the law than when a black man breaks a lesser law?
Is the Board going to take any action? Does the Board condone drinking and driving? It's obvious that prior Board condones white collar crime since it took no action in investigating possible fraud with Dennis Whitling.
Thank goodness we have Dr. H. in control of the Board. I wish he was on the Board during the HES-CES debacle. He would not have allowed a morally impaired group of five dictate policy and to allow HES to be the whipping boy of the community. We all felt it, we heard the whispers from others on how priveledged we are. The chickens are coming home to roost. Cameron Park is overcrowded, and Central is just above 50 percent capacity. It just makes perfect sense to take some of the Cameron Park kids and place them at CES. Of course, Debbie and Susan will fight that because that will hurt their connections within their social circles.
Was Ted convicted of this crime? Or did he escape the wrath of justice?
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