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On
Tuesday afternoon, Bettie Murchison, the
former director of the DuBois Center and
now the director of the W.E.B. DuBois
Community Development Corporation, went
to the Wake Forest Police Department
where she charged with embezzlement and
felony conversion of property, taken to
the Wake County Public Safety Center in
Raleigh, and released later that day on
a $200,000 cash bond.
Wednesday afternoon
Murchison said she is not guilty of the
charges that arise from a complaint
filed by her cousin, the president of
the National Dubois School Alumni
Association, Lawrence Perry of
Baltimore.
"I have a lot of friends and
supporters in Wake Forest and Raleigh,
across the state, who have stood by me
and understand that I have done nothing
wrong," Murchison said after her first
court appearance Wednesday morning.
At that time, Raleigh
attorney Charles Putterman assured the
court she would retain counsel. “I will
be assisting her in that,” Putterman
said later. He is a civil trial lawyer
who agreed to help her with the first
court appearance.
Late Wednesday afternoon,
Marshall Harvey, chairman of the CDC
board released a statement from the
board that expressed the support of the
board and the staff for Murchison. The
board met early Tuesday evening after
word of the arrest spread and apparently
met Wednesday afternoon also.
The statement also said
Murchison, following CDC policy she
helped write, has asked to be place on a
30-day administrative leave. Harvey will
take over the role as president while
she is away.
“Mrs. Murchison has been the
foundation of the W.E.B. DuBois CDC
non-profit organization and was
instrumental in the growth of the
National DuBois Alumni Association. We
remain confident that both organizations
will continue to have a positive impact
on our community,” the statement said.
According to a press release, the Wake
Forest Police Department undertook a
four-month investigation into Perry’s
complaint before making the arrest. Lt.
Trent Coleman, who led the
investigation, was at a class Wednesday
and could not be reached, and Police
Chief Greg Harrington was out of the
office. Since earlier this summer, Perry
has refused to speak to the Gazette
editor.
The charges and controversy
center on the DuBois Center, a 17-acre
site and seven dilapidated school
buildings between North Franklin Street
and North Allen Road that the alumni
association purchased in 1998 for
$325,000 with a $65,000 down payment.
Late that same year, the alumni board
hired Murchison, who had attended the
school, as the director. Since then,
with the help of grants and the
assistance of the Town of Wake Forest,
Wake County and individuals, the
gymnasium and the former ag/shop
building have been renovated. The town
continues to provide all utilities.
Murchison sought grants,
began programs and added employees
during her seven years as director. Most
of the contract staff of 120 or so was
employed in the mental health counseling
program funded by Wake County Human
Services, but there were also counselors
with Hope Builders, which teaches job
readiness, and teachers with the
alternative school program.
She had the board’s support
for the programs until late last summer
when Perry was elected board president
in a contentious election. He later sued
Murchison and former president Mavis
Farrar, saying they kept him from being
elected president. The matter was
settled out of court.
Murchison said later she
decided to leave the center and form the
CDC after the board refused to act on
the re-certification mandated by the
state for the mental health counselors.
She, her assistant Cathee Miller and
others undertook the re-certification on
their own time and applied for the grant
to continue the counseling program
through the CDC.
Murchison’s resignation was
effective at the end of February, and
there was a lot of chaos as the staff
members, who resigned with her, moved
their personal belongings and the Hope
Builders equipment out of the two
buildings with Perry standing watch.
Murchison’s new organization
took the counseling and the Hope
Builders programs. The alternative
school program, which requires the
computers in the lab, remained at the
center as did the after-school tutoring
program operated by the Banks Kerr
Family YMCA and volunteers. This summer,
the Y is running a day camp for children
at the center.
There was also confusion
about some records and bookkeeping.
Murchison has, she said, returned
everything taken in error that has been
requested and she has offered to submit
other questions to mediation. |
