The group, calling themselves North Carolina Minority Citizens for Fiscal Transparency, held signs and waved at passing traffic across from 1705 Market Street — The Kenan House, an imposing Neoclassical mansion that’s been the official home of the UNCW chancellor since 1969.
One sign read, “To Chancellor Volety: Why won’t you meet with us?”
Charles Jones, who introduced himself as the chair of the organization, had previously sent an email laying out the main allegations. The group accuses UNCW of the “fraudulent awarding of state contracts and other state violations … that disenfranchise minority vendors.”
Specifically, the group claims UNCW has violated G.S 143-128.2, which requires state agencies to make and document good faith efforts to recruit minority businesses for projects costing $100,000 or more. They also claim that project management staff at the university have harassed minority vendors who raised concerns about these practices.
The group bases some of its allegations on the case of Robert Dorsey, a Black contractor who sued the university in 2020 over racially discriminatory practices. As WHQR reported in 2021, Dorsey had documented evidence strongly suggesting UNCW overlooked inflated bids from a White contractor who had much less experience than Dorsey did. The University settled in 2022, paying damages, according to Dorsey; UNCW declined to comment on the litigation.
Jones told WHQR he believed if UNCW had potentially violated the rights of one minority vendor, it was plausible it had happened to others, as well. He said he hoped the protest would reach other vendors who’d experienced discrimination — or who might not have known what their rights were.
In emails, the group said it has identified five contracts, worth over $1.3 million, that didn't include documentation of 'good faith' efforts to secure participation of minority vendors; several of their picket signs also alluded to these allegations. WHQR has not independently verified these documents.
The group has requested public records of the last five years of contract awards to determine if there has been fraud. As Jones wrote in an email, they accuse UNCW of providing thousands of pages of “unrequested and indecipherable ‘junk and clutter,’” allegedly to thwart attempts to do so. Jones wrote they intend to take legal action to secure those documents.
Jones said they’ve also asked Volety to sit down with them, but that the chancellor has declined.
In a statement, UNCW said it supported the group’s right to protest, but denied any wrongdoing when it comes to minority contracting.
UNCW supports an individual’s right to freedom of expression consistent with law and policy. However, the university believes that the protestors’ claims are inaccurate, misleading and unfounded. UNCW is committed to following all applicable laws and providing equal opportunities for all potential vendors and partners through the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program.
