Henderson Collegiate Teacher Charged With Taking Indecent Liberties With A Minor
A former teacher with Henderson Collegiate school was charged by Henderson Police on June 16.
Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow told WIZS News, “Trevor Major Rorie of 145 Cambridge Way, Henderson was charged with six counts of felony indecent liberties with a minor, one count of misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and one count of misdemeanor child abuse. A secure bond amount of $210,000 was set. Rorie was jailed, and the court date will be July 5, 2016. The investigation will continue to determine if further charges are warranted. The State Bureau of Investigation assisted with the investigation.”
Henderson Collegiate school posted on its web page on June 16 a letter from Executive Director Eric Sanchez. Sanchez spoke to WIZS News and gave permission to re-publish the letter.
It was addressed to Henderson Collegiate families and says, “We recently learned that a former second-year teacher at Henderson Collegiate High School has been arrested and charged with engaging in inappropriate physical contact with students. Upon first learning of these allegations, we immediately placed the teacher on leave and notified the Henderson Police Department. We have since terminated the teacher’s employment and turned the matter over to the police, and we are cooperating fully with the investigation.
“This news is disturbing for all of us. The staff and I take the well-being and general safety of your children seriously, and we acted quickly and forcefully in this instance to eliminate any further risk to the student body.
“As all of you already know, our Pride of parents, students, and staff mean the world to me. I am available if you have any questions or concerns,” and Sanchez provided his contact information.
In a phone interview, Sanchez told WIZS News, “The question we are getting from a lot of supportive people is ‘How are we doing? How are we enduring and coping with this situation?’ And it’s a valid question. There’s the normal thoughts that anyone would guess. And I’m not saying myself. I’m saying all of us, our community, myself included.
“What we are trying to do within this situation, as anybody would do when you face adversity, is to turn it into a real learning experience. And the experience that we want people to have, definitely within our community, is that there is a bigger conversation around what it means to have appropriate relationships, around safety that people are having these conversations with their children, that we’re having our conversations with our students so these types of situations don’t reach the level that they unfortunately seem to have.”
Sanchez continued, “The other piece of that that I think is important with us is that we’re a school that has had a lot of success and celebrated a lot of great things as a school and as a community, and this is a time that we should not abandon that type of mindset. It should actually push it even more where we come together as a pride, as a school and really support one another as we seek to heal.”
He said, “We are just trying to support this investigation as much as we can. We acted quickly and tried to be very responsible, and we are doing everything we can to support the police and their efforts – one to do their investigation but two to also make sure people feel safe to come forward if anyone has been affected by it.”
Henderson Middle School Uniforms
Students who attend Henderson Middle School will be required to wear school uniforms for the 2016-2017 school year following action by the Vance County Board of Education on June 13.
The board approved a recommendation by Superintendent Anthony Jackson that the school be allowed to require the uniforms based on information shared by Principal John Hargrove and school staff members.
Hargrove and his staff presented a detailed report to the board members on how they sought staff and parent input during the planning for student uniforms, the advantages of having student uniforms and what the uniforms will include.
Hargrove noted that in a survey process, carried out over several weeks, parents of students overwhelmingly favored the requirement for student uniforms. He also explained that student uniforms are $10 to $15 cheaper than regular clothing per outfit and will eliminate any stigma or differences among students, thus improving discipline and the overall environment for students at the school.
The student uniforms will consist of white, royal blue or light blue knit shirts (with collars) and khaki, navy blue or black pants. All students must wear shirts tucked in and belts at all times. Certain shoes, which include solid-colored white, black or brown shoes, must be worn at all times by all students. The shoes can be loafer, lace-up or buckle shoes (for girls).
Henderson Middle joins Pinkston Street and L.B. Yancey elementary schools in requiring students to wear uniforms.
(Vance County Schools Press Release)
Community College System’s top honor presented to former VGCC president
Dr. Ben F. Currin, the former president of Vance-Granville Community College, formally received the highest honor bestowed by the North Carolina Community College System, the I.E. Ready Award, at a recent ceremony.
Held on May 27 at the Brio restaurant in Raleigh, the luncheon marked a VGCC “family reunion” that brought together longtime college trustees, Endowment Fund Board members and senior administrators. Exactly half of VGCC’s six presidents were in attendance, including Dr. Currin; Robert A. Miller, who succeeded Currin; and Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the current president. Currin was joined by his wife, Betsy, herself a veteran educator and former vice president of Nash Community College.
Janet Lowder of Albemarle, N.C., the vice-chair of the State Board of Community Colleges, was on hand to officially present the award and medallion to Currin.
Named for Isaac Epps Ready, the first state director of the North Carolina Community College System, the prestigious award was created in 1983 to recognize individuals who have made significant, statewide contributions to the establishment, development or enhancement of the System. Previous winners of the I.E. Ready Award include former governors, former state legislators, former members of the State Board of Community Colleges, former Council of State members, former United States Senators, former college trustees, former college presidents and former System presidents.
Currin’s 40-year career in public education included serving as president of VGCC for 18 years starting in 1981. Under Currin’s leadership, VGCC grew from one campus to four, with a total of almost $18 million worth of new construction at all the campuses. Early in his tenure, VGCC also reactivated the college’s Endowment Fund, which grew from $12,000 in 1982 to $5 million at the time of his retirement and provided scholarships for numerous students. In retirement, Currin, who lives in Raleigh, continues to serve on the Endowment Fund Board of Directors.
Speaking at the ceremony, Currin said that VGCC’s service area was “the most gracious community I’ve ever lived in.” He recalled the generous support that the college received while he was president, sometimes quite unexpectedly. In 1998, retired librarian Nannie A. Crowder of Henderson and retired business executive Robert B. “Bob” Butler of Warrenton died on the same day, leaving more than $800,000 and more than $2 million, respectively, to VGCC. In Butler’s case, the bequest was a complete surprise, as he had no history of giving to the college and had not told college officials of his intentions. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Currin marveled, adding that he was equally impressed with all the other, smaller donations from citizens and businesses in the four-county area.
“It was just the most rewarding job I’ve ever had,” he said of his VGCC tenure. “I’m so proud to have served and to have been part of the growth of the college. I’m very honored and thankful for being recognized.”
During the ceremony, several attendees made remarks honoring the former president’s leadership, including James Edwards, the current VGCC director of communications who was hired by Currin in 1989 as marketing director; Eddie Ferguson, the Endowment Fund director who is also Currin’s cousin; Robert Hubbard, who was recruited by Currin to serve on the Endowment board and is now its vice-chairman; Opie Frazier and Donald Seifert, both longtime VGCC trustees and Endowment board members; and Robert Miller, who served under Currin both in the Rocky Mount City Schools and as a VGCC official.
“He hired me for my first job out of college, 46 years ago,” Miller said. “I cannot think of any individual that would be more deserving of this award than Ben Currin. I not only appreciate what he’s done for me, but what he’s done for education and what he’s done for Vance-Granville Community College.”
Dr. Williams congratulated Currin and thanked him for his service to the college and to North Carolina. “When I became president of VGCC in 2012, one of the first people I called was Dr. Currin. He then took me to lunch, and we go to lunch every few months or so, but I have to say, this is my favorite lunch, because I’m so happy to share this moment with you,” Williams said to her predecessor. “You are such a deserving recipient of the I.E. Ready Award. You have left a great legacy at our college, and it is an honor to continue to move the college forward and build upon that foundation that you created.”
A native of Granville County and a graduate of Oxford High School, Currin received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1959. He earned his master’s degree in education in 1962 and his advanced graduate certificate in professional education in 1963, both from UNC. He received his doctorate in education from UNC in 1970 in education administration with a minor in political science.
Currin assumed the VGCC presidency after having served as a teacher, coach and public school administrator, including 11 years as superintendent of Rocky Mount City Schools. While in Rocky Mount, he also taught graduate courses at East Carolina University as an adjunct professor.