Controversial Onslow County school board member submits resignation
An Onslow County school board member who is currently facing removal from the board has submitted his resignation.
Controversial Onslow County Board of Education Member Eric Whitfield, who faced an amotion hearing last month due to inappropriate and unethical behavior while serving on the board, submitted his letter of resignation to the board, as well as to The Daily News Thursday morning.
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"This is for real," Whitfield said in an email. "Enclosed is my letter of resignation for the board's consideration. I assume the goals of all parties involved can be realized if my resignation is accepted. I want to say thank you to all parties involved for being fair throughout this process. This process, though painful, has given me an opportunity for useful self-reflection. A true friend can help us realize our flaws and give us the gift of an opportunity to correct ourselves accordingly."
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His letter said his resignation will be effective at 11:59 p.m. on October 31, but also said it becomes effective once accepted by a majority vote from the board.
Whitfield went on to say his campaign tactics inflicted a lot of pain on a lot of people and for that, he regrets his actions.
"In the future, I plan to use more traditional methods when engaging in political activity," Whitfield said. "The board's deep respect for my constitutional rights meant a lot to me throughout this endeavor. It is with glee that even though I was relentlessly maimed, tortured, shamed, and abused, neither the State of North Carolina nor the United States Constitution were defiled in any way."
Whitfield added that the citizens of Onslow County are all "true patriots of the American spirit of individual expression and defenders of our beloved freedom of speech that forces constant improvement of our government, culture and our respect for the dignity of our citizenry."
He asked for the board and the county to accept his humblest apologies for his unconventional conduct regarding the political process and said it has been an honor to serve. He also said he plans to serve again someday in the capacity he believes will improve Onslow County government for generations to come.
"God Bless America and may his power infiltrate your lives to reach their full potential in this beloved land of liberty," Whitfield added.
Amotion hearing decision coming soon, may not be needed
On July 25, Whitfield was the subject of an amotion hearing at the Eastern North Carolina Academic Skills Center.
Although Whitfield was present and represented himself, he did not present any witnesses towards his defense and did little cross-examination of the amotion counsel's witnesses.
Whitfield did not stay for the entirety of the hearing, leaving at some point in the afternoon, forgoing his opportunity to give a closing argument.
Amotion hearing officer Valecia McDowell, an attorney with Moore & Van Allen, has 30 days to present her recommendations to the board. Thursday marks 30 days for the recommendation to come down.
The Daily News reached out to Onslow County Schools and the board with questions regarding the process for the board to accept a resignation letter and if an amotion decision has been made.
Onslow County Schools Chief Communications Officer Brent Anderson responded with the following:
"Earlier today, a letter from Eric Whitfield offering to resign from the Onslow County Board of Education was sent to members of the Board, OCS Executive Staff and media representatives," Anderson said. "The document is being reviewed by the BOE’s legal counsel. Due to the ongoing amotion process involving Mr. Whitfield, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time."
Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at mstarling@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Eric Whitfield set to resign from the Onslow County school board
