Uproar at Davidson over alumni email (free version)
Plus: Parents 'flabbergasted' and 'shocked' at south Charlotte school reassignment proposal; Redevelopment for Plaza-Midwood nonprofit hub?; BofA settles Charlotte suit on fees; Wrestler honored
Good morning! Today is Friday, May 21, 2021. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
Editor’s note: This is a shorter, free version of The Charlotte Ledger sent to people on our free sign-up list. The complete version for paying members went out 15 minutes ago. It included:
The details on a story that’s got everyone in Davidson College circles talking: former trustees of Davidson — including some of the school’s most notable alumni — emailed thousands of former students to speak out against changes at the school that they say go against its religious roots.
The latest on a proposal that would change school assignments for some students at Myers Park High School and South Mecklenburg High School. Want to guess how parents are reacting?
News of a $75M settlement that Bank of America is paying on a class-action lawsuit in a Charlotte case regarding repeated overdraft charges.
The scoop on a land-swap deal involving Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools that will pave the way for redevelopment in the heart of Plaza-Midwood.
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Blowback after 11 ex-trustees, including a congressman and former governor, decry rising ‘political and social activism’; College says it’s proud of diversity
(Photo courtesy of Davidson College)
by Tony Mecia
Davidson College says it is investigating how a group of influential former trustees obtained the email addresses of thousands of alumni and sent them a long letter this week condemning recent changes that smack of “political correctness.”
The letter — signed by 11 alumni who are business or political figures, including a former governor and a sitting congressman — says that the college is straying from its traditional religious roots and has “wandered into the realm of political and social activism.” It highlights a Davidson board of trustees vote in January to remove the requirement that the college president and 80% of trustees be Christian, and it urges alumni to contact the college and let their voices be heard.
Sent Tuesday evening from an official-looking email address (alumni@davidson-alumni.com), the letter quickly caused a stir among networks of Davidson alums, many of whom took to private Facebook groups to debate the issue.
The debate at Davidson echoes a common dispute at American colleges,
New details on Myers Park/South Meck student reassignment proposal; some parents ‘flabbergasted’
Nerves are fraying among some parents of students at Myers Park High School and South Mecklenburg High School, after Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools floated a proposal at a series of meetings this week that would shuffle student school assignments in a portion of south Charlotte.
BofA agrees to $75M settlement on Charlotte fee lawsuit
Bank of America has agreed to pay $75M to settle a class action lawsuit in a Charlotte case that alleged the bank
Panthers start converting grass field to turf
Changes coming to Plaza-Midwood as CMS swaps building housing non-profit hub in exchange for offices in east Charlotte
Get ready to see more development along Central Avenue in the heart of Plaza-Midwood, and the exit of a longtime non-profit hub.
In brief
South Meck booster embezzlement: A couple that ran the South Mecklenburg High School booster club was charged with embezzling at least $200,000 from the organization and using money for personal expenses including $5,000 for Charlotte Hornets tickets, $840 for a meal at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, travel and bill payments. The couple, Anthony and Deana Sharper, also received $236,000 in federal Covid relief payments from Wells Fargo and Bank of America by lying about the club’s finances, the indictment says. (Observer)
Mask-free at HT: Harris Teeter says it is now allowing customers to shop mask-free in stores if they have been vaccinated. “Fully vaccinated shoppers and most fully vaccinated associates will no longer need to wear a mask in our stores,” the company’s president wrote in a letter.
School budget detente? Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders have agreed to meet with Mecklenburg County leaders on Tuesday to discuss the school budget. The county has proposed to withhold $56M in school funding until CMS produces an acceptable plan to improve student achievement, which has led to an escalating war of words. Commissioners chairman George Dunlap, who criticized CMS superintendent Earnest Winston earlier this week, said he stands by his comments: “A lot of people had said some really mean things to me in 26 years. People still say mean things to me. You know, you have to put the big boy pants on if you want to play in this game.” (WBTV)
Big UCity land sale: IBM has sold 69 acres at a prime site in University City, according to records from the register of deeds. For the details, become a paying member. (If The Ledger helps you in business, you can probably expense it or write off the very reasonable expense on your taxes.)
2040 plan revisions: The city of Charlotte released a revised version of its 2040 Comprehensive Plan, incorporating minor changes the City Council approved this week. It is schedule for a vote next month. (WCNC)
Financial services expansion: Insurance provider USAA seems headed toward opening an office in Charlotte, according to a recent interview with the company’s CEO and to unnamed sources who spoke to the Charlotte Business Journal. A company spokeswoman declined to confirm the new office, but CEO Wayne Peacock told the San Antonio Business Journal: “There’s clearly a war for talent. And (we recently) announced that we’ll open one of those facilities in Charlotte, North Carolina, as an example.” (Biz Journal, subscriber only)
Pipeline CEO explains ransom payment: The CEO of the company that owns the Colonial Pipeline said he agreed to pay hackers $4.4M to get gas flowing again because he felt as though he had no other choice: “I will admit that I wasn’t comfortable seeing money go out the door to people like this,” he said. “But it was the right thing to do for the country.” The company first discovered there was a problem at daybreak on May 7, when a worker discovered a ransom note on a control-room computer. (Wall Street Journal, subscriber-only)
Buffett unloads Wells stock: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which was once Wells Fargo’s largest shareholder, sold 99% of its stake in the bank in the 1Q, or 51.7 million shares. But Berkshire still owns more than 1 billion shares of Bank of America stock, or 12% of the company — a total that was worth $40B at the end of the 1Q. (Financial Times)
South Charlotte smell lawsuit: A Ballantyne resident is suing the New-Indy containerboard plant in Catawba, S.C., which is blamed for an awful odor that has offended the noses of much of south Charlotte and Upstate South Carolina. The federal lawsuit, filed in Rock Hill, seeks $5M in damages and says New-Indy has polluted the area with “noxious and harmful hydrogen sulfide emissions.” (Observer)
Flight training moved out of Charlotte: American Airlines is moving its flight training center from Charlotte to Texas to consolidate operations. (Fox 46)
Local newsletter expansion: Axios plans to add eight online local newsletters this year, for a total of 14 nationally. The new cities are Washington; Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas; Philadelphia; Nashville; Austin, Texas; and Columbus, Ohio. The company’s biggest local newsletter is in Charlotte. (Washington Post)
Loves me some Congress
Rep. Dan Bishop of Charlotte on the House floor on Wednesday, paying tribute to the most famous resident of Ellerbe (90 minutes east of Charlotte).
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory