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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

Three strikes and you're out: The short tenure of CFCC Trustee Ray Funderburk

Less than a year after he was appointed, Ray Funderburk was ousted from the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees. In his brief time on the board, he stepped out of line three times, starting with his vote against President Jim Morton's raise — the only dissenting vote. On this episode, a look at the trial to remove him and what we've learned in the aftermath.

On this episode of The Newsroom, we’re joined by WHQR’s own Rachel Keith for a deep dive into the removal of Trustee Ray Funderburk from the Cape Fear Community College Board.

In one sense, the hearing was about whether or not Funderburk had overstepped his bounds as a trustee and acted inappropriately — the board alleged he had pressured an instructor to change a student’s grade, a serious policy violation. They also alleged he had publicly criticized the college during a student forum — instead of taking his concerns to college president Jim Morton.

But in a deeper sense, the hearing was about what kind of person the board wants as a trustee — and how much, if any, dissent from the party line they are willing to accept.

And that’s what we’ll get into on today’s show.

Links to reporting on CFCC and related issues (credit Rachel Keith except where noted):

Ben Schachtman is a journalist and editor with a focus on local government accountability. He began reporting for Port City Daily in the Wilmington area in 2016 and took over as managing editor there in 2018. He’s a graduate of Rutgers College and later received his MA from NYU and his PhD from SUNY-Stony Brook, both in English Literature. He loves spending time with his wife and playing rock'n'roll very loudly. You can reach him at BSchachtman@whqr.org and find him on Twitter @Ben_Schachtman.
Rachel is a graduate of UNCW's Master of Public Administration program, specializing in Urban and Regional Policy and Planning. She also received a Master of Education and two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and French Language & Literature from NC State University. She served as WHQR's News Fellow from 2017-2019. Contact her by email: rkeith@whqr.org or on Twitter @RachelKWHQR