Complaint Review: North Carolina Department Of Cultural Resources - Raleigh North Carolina

Bureaucratic Terrorism at Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site

The following is an email that has been sent to all Senators and all Assemblymen in the North Carolina Legislature. At least 2 of them have begun active investigations. As with any case being handled in the political world, I can't tell if we are being taken seriously so I am asking your help in assuring that this matter receives the attention it requires and deserves. It involves John Dysart, ex-Manager of Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site.

I use the term ex because John has been terminated (fired, shown the door, given the old heave-h*o, bounced, axed, canned, etc.) from his job. The reasons for the termination are bogus, charged by someone who has no good will for John, Reed Mine or the Historic Sites Division of Cultural Resources or our community. You know, or should know that John defines the term pillar of the Community. His spotless reputation, credibility and dedication to the state, city, the county, schools, scouts, Red Cross, Convention and Tourist Bureau, Charlotte Convention Bureau, Share Cabarrus organization, church and on and on and on, is well known.

He has sacrificed personal and family time for all of the citizens of North Carolina. I doubt if many other men are as well known in this community as John Dysart. In addition to being known for his excellence as Manager of Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site, he is known throughout the state from his capacities in the Red Cross disaster teams, going out and aiding victims of natural disasters like hurricanes, floods, etc. He is known throughout the country in his capacity of past-President and active member of the American Society on Mining Engineers.

He has always been a source of pride to our community and he has worked ceaselessly to promote the community, Reed Gold Mine and Historic Sites of the Department of Cultural Resources. He should be receiving awards and honorariums instead of being thrown out of his career, his work. life and reputation in shambles. Please write and/or call (phone calls are really great and catches their attention but remember to keep a record of the call) our Senator, Representatives, Governor, Attorney General, Secretary Libba Evans of the Department of Cultural Resources, Dr. Jeff Crow, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Cultural Resources, the County Commissioners and anyone else you can think of who may aid in helping John.

There is a horrible situation going on in the Department of Cultural Resources, specifically in the Historic Sites Division, currently under the Director, Kay Williams, that needs your attention and investigation. The career of a dedicated 25 year employee, John Dysart, who is an asset to the state is in jeopardy as well as one of the most active and dedicated Historic Site support groups, The Gold History Corporation.

In the case of John Dysart, Site Manager for the Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site, he has been accused of and disciplined for various departmental policy violations (3) of which he is not guilty or are so trivial as to boggle the imagination.

1. John has been found guilty by DCR's Kay Williams of diversion of state funds by funneling site sales desk money into the Gold History Corporation (GHC). If our information is correct, this would amount to tens of thousands or perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars. This charge is so ludicrous as to stretch the imagination beyond the breaking point unless you know that the investigation was done by and through incompetence and guile. This charge is made by an incompetent amateur accountant and malicious imposter. In actuality, the sales records were being handled according to the customary procedures used by nearly all businesses. The investigation of wrong doing was hopelessly bungled.

2. John was found guilty of diversion of state funds for giving funds from the gold panning area during Gold Heritage Day (Gold Heritage Days are a celebration in honor of our ancestors from the gold mining era and staffed by volunteers from the Gold History Corporation as well as other folks who are dedicated to teaching our contemporaries, especially the children, the way things were.) This would amount to thousands of dollars over a period of 20 or so years.

This would not be too bad when you consider that 100% of all money accumulated by the Gold History Corporation is used exclusively for the benefit of the Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site through its programs and facilities and equipment acquisition. However, one of his supervisors from past administrations had given him express authorization to do it and it was never revoked. In fact, it is a practice that was participated in by his current supervisor, John Beaver, who is part of John's persecution and other DCR officials.

3. Finally, he was found guilty of painting his son's first vehicle in one of the maintenance bays at the site. In actuality this was done using 100% personal tools and personal time. It was done on New Years Eve. The building heater was not used, only a couple of lights and a little air. There were no specific policies prohibiting this. Considering the fact that the maintenance building is full of tools belonging to employees, including John, because the state won't provide sufficient or correct tools to properly take care of the site, the occupation of a few square feet doesn't seem actionable. But for all that, John did not paint the vehicle, he was at a party. It was painted by someone else!

For the above charges Mr. Dysart was escorted from the site having been give 5 minutes to gather up his personal items of 25 years. He was told to go home and was prohibited from leaving his home. He was prohibited from speaking to his staff. He was prohibited from speaking to members of the Board of Directors of the Gold History Corporation, one of whom was the Pastor of the church he attends (He didn't go to church for a month). Failure to abide by these terms was punishable by immediate termination. This didn't make any difference since at the end of a two month "Witch Hunt," he was terminated anyway? He is currently in the process of filing a grievance with the state.

In addition, the staff was prohibited from talking about the situation with themselves and everyone else on pain of discipline up to and including termination. If anyone was to inquire as to his whereabouts they were to say, "he is on leave with pay." If the questioner continued, they were to be referred to Assistant Attorney General, Stacey Myers. When contacted the only thing that Ms. Myers would say is that she would not answer any questions since it was a "Confidential Personnel" matter. When I contacted Stacey, she was hostile, bullying and intimidating in the extreme.

I have never seen such a poor display of personnel practice and policies in my life and that includes nearly thirty years as a Human Resources professional. I suspect that several of the things I've run across slop into the illegal or unconstitutional area. I was ashamed and embarrassed just for being a part of the profession. A supervisor of John Dysart even told the Reed staff he had refused to sign the letter terminating John. The letter was found to have been signed using the supervisor's name by someone else, A practice known in some arenas as forgery. I was told he also said that they had secret sets of policies they would use to prosecute people even though they were not available for general reference.

With regard to the Gold History Corporation (GHC), two of the DCR Historic Sites staff members broke into the GHC computer, which is kept at the site in Mr. Desert's office for security reasons, and snooped through the financial records with the GHC accounting program. The sad thing is that it would have been possible for them to have made changes in the records because it was in a record keeping mode and would have allowed "Sabotage" if someone was so inclined.

On another date, one of the same DCR employees, a Thomas Rhodes, once again intimidated one of the staff members at the site into letting him use the computer for poking around and once again it was in recording mode. At this time he availed himself of making records of the private and confidential records. He also pilfered through confidential files in our file cabinets which contained private individual's credit card numbers and vendor information and made copies of same and took them back to Raleigh with him. He also contacted the CPA who maintains Gold History Corporation financials, and tried to get her to give him records, an act that is illegal. In fact, we believe that everything Mr. Rhodes performed was unethical, if not illegal, and we are investigating the possibility of filing charges against him and anyone else involved.

I believe this has been a vendetta by certain individuals in the Historic Site Division and has no basis in fact. Although I am on the Board of Directors of the GHC, this request for your consideration and investigation is from me personally, a citizen of our North Carolina and, out of concern for the history and the keepers of the history. They and we, have a right to work without all of this intimidation, threats and bullying, that I call Bureaucratic Terrorism.

If I can be of any service in your efforts, please feel free to contact me at anytime of day of night. Our Cultural Resource people deserve better than what they have received and I am sure you will help get this mess straightened out.

Don't let them throw you with this "Confidential Personnel Matter" business since it is simply a ruse, well intentioned or not, to help keep the whole affair hushed up. The only thing that is confidential is the Department of Cultural Resources mishandling and mal-handling of the case. Besides, I believe, based on the amount of money John supposedly diverted, he should have had criminal charges filed against him and been indicted by the Attorney General, if there were any truth. That way he would have gotten an independent, fair investigation and been represented by council who had John's interest at heart..

THE POINT IN ALL THIS IS THAT JOHN DYSART WAS AND REMAINS INNOCENT AND FROM EVERY APPEARANCE I CAN SEE, THE CURRENT HISTORIC SITES DIVISION ADMINISTRATION IS BEHIND THE PERSECUTION OF A TRULY GOOD MAN.

Don

Gastonia, North Carolina
U.S.A.