Blanton speaks to news media after stating publicly CCS board shouldn't talk to the media

Chuck Thompson | The Shelby Independent

CCS School Board in public session, Jan. 12, 2026.

Editor’s note: The Shelby Independent encourages anyone, any elected official to write and oped to be published in The Shelby Independent, or any news publication. That is your right and it shouldn’t be infringed upon by fear of retaliation of your peers. However, there are certain guidelines to follow, and we don’t want you or anyone else to get in trouble for speaking to the media.

People get angry when they read things they disagree with, but this happened; like it or not. This is factual to its core and the public has every right to know what happened in the meeting and what went down after the YouTube video stopped and the minutes were no longer recorded.  

The Shelby Independent is here to balance other news outlets, and provide fair and factual reporting of a news event. To leave out the events that transpired while still in the auditorium would go against being factual and fair. To allow a contradiction to go unchecked would be unfair to all readers and residents of Cleveland County.  

The Shelby Independent believes that Blanton has every right to his opinion, as do you, or anyone else.

However, Blanton decided to do exactly what he said no one on the board should do, by going to speak to the media after the meeting, right after his minor physical altercation with another board member.

For a current school board member to publicly insist, that board members should not talk to the press about anything at all, is something The Shelby Independent firmly disagrees with Blanton on this matter – especially when he admitted on the record, it’s a vendetta (read below).

In a time when CCS Administration blatantly ignores calls and emails from the local media, with countless resignations from teachers and other employees (21 this school year), anger from parents and frustration from voters wondering if CCS is any better than it was a decade ago, and thus with CCS not responding to media, the public can’t be informed on what is actually happening within the school system – the comments made last night only help to clamp down on residents from knowing what is happening in their school system.

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The January school board meeting affirmed that 2026 will be like previous years, as far as school board meetings are concerned.

The meeting started with a positive musical note, with Dr. Jason Parker, Executive Director of Elementary Schools and Title 1, recognizing Elementary Honors Chorus students.

NC Elementary Honors Chorus is a group of selective students which provides them with the opportunity to enhance their abilities to the greatest extent. After their brief performance of Old Shenandoah, they received a certificate from Dr. Fisher. The schools involved were: Casar Elementary, Union Elementary, Fallston Elementary, Kings Mountain Intermediate School, North Elementary, West Elementary James Love Elementary and Jefferson.

Dr. Parker also addressed the board regarding the elementary math completion called Cleveland Calculates. The program grows academic development that challenges their skills and growth. The top three teams were recognized Monday night.  

Township 3 took home third place and a prize of $200. Jefferson elementary placed second, winning $300 and Boiling Springs Elementary took home first place in the county math competition.

Synsir Pettis, a Shelby High School CTE Intern, highlighted the CCS student internship program. Pettis spoke about his experience and how beneficial it has been to have been given the chance to be a CTE intern.

“I come from a background where I come from nothing,” Pettis said, “Thanks to this internship I have had a whole lot of great things happen in my life and just a lot of great things for me in the future.”

Pettis continued that he has a love for drones, getting his certification 107 test, being one of the first people in the state to receive the certification. He said his love for football and love of video games and drones he has been able to use those passions.

“Being able to go out there and film with the football team is something I’ve never been a part of before.” He further explained working at Gardner-Webb he’s been able to use his skills and make connections with NFL scouts to hopefully gain an internship with The Carolina Panthers. “Thank you to the board for believing in kids like me that have come from nothing, and I appreciate all that you on the board do.” He hopes to help others by getting other students involved in internships.

In a statement at the end of the public meeting, CCS Board Member Danny Blanton said he has his free right to speak to anyone, but since he was censured then he believes others should be censured.

While stating his affirmative right to free speech, he also flipped his comment and concluded free speech wasn’t allowed for board members, although he did not explain why he decided to bring this subject up to the board during this specific meeting.

“A few years back, I got censured because I said somebody should be held accountable,” Blanton said, referring to the Burns High School senior prank, where he had spoken to regional and local media, which was reported on by WSOC, WBTV, The Shelby Star, The Charlotte Observer, and even across the Atlantic, in the United Kingdom, in The Daily Mail.

Blanton continued, “I got censured for 90 days by a few board members – I’m not going to say calling any names tonight, everybody knows who they were.” Referring to when then-school board chairman Robert Queen censured Blanton and Grigg for what the media took as them speaking for the board on the matter and sharing photos of students, not for just speaking to the media, though Blanton attests otherwise.

“I couldn’t participate in quite a few things, and one thing was dear to my heart that I couldn’t participate. Because I was told I went to the press and said someone should be held accountable.” Here, Blanton is referring to a graduation where he could not sit on stage with board members but was still allowed to attend the graduation. He was not barred from the event as has claimed in past verbal comments.

(CCS Board meeting continued below)

Blanton continued, “Well, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. We’ve had another board member go to the media,” explained Blanton. “And I think he needs to be censured.”

While the board member was not specifically named, Blanton’s comments were directed over an oped written by CCS Board Member Ron Humphries, published in The Shelby Independent on Nov. 23, 2025. The oped was not about holding anyone accountable by name or otherwise, nor was it about disciplinary action, nor included student's photos. There was also a public board meeting on Dec. 8, two weeks after the oped was published, but no explanation was given as to why it was brought up during the January meeting. You can read the oped (published 11.23.2025) here and decide for yourself: https://www.shelbyindependent.com/post/north-carolina-s-school-calendar-debate-a-call-for-change

“We’ve had a few board members go to our attorney to have a letter wrote up to censure us,” Blanton continued. “Which is really against the law because I have my free right as long as I’m not operating as the board. I have that right – anybody has that right— but I got censured and we had another board member get censured, but I’m not speaking for him, I’m speaking for myself. I want the people to understand that...”

Blanton then held up a printed copy of the opinion piece written by Humphries, which did not involve a disciplinary action nor demand anyone be punished or terminated from their position. A right any board member should have, as Blanton said so himself just in the paragraph above, to send a letter to the editor of The Shelby Independent, or any media-related publication. This particular oped was published as a free right of anyone, as he was not speaking for the board.

Blanton continued with his statement, addressing the public and other board members present, “But right here is where a board member went to the media,” Blanton held up a sheet of paper with the oped printed on it. “And what’s good for the goose is good for the gander – and I’m making a motion that he be censured; that our attorney draw up a set papers and bring it back to the board and we address that issue. We can do it in closed session, we can do it in open session, or whatever. But I feel like – that – there was a policy put in place where it is the chair and our superintendent talks to the media about issues in our schools.”

 “There’s a policy put in place – or ethics – they say I broke ethics and this, that and the other, so, I’m asking the board to ask our attorney to bring something up to censure him – and if we need to bring back a recording, I think we have it available for what our lawyer came up and said, uh, what her belief was – if she’d like to step up okay, but I’d like a media action on that.”

After the meeting, while still in the auditorium, words were exchanged between Blanton and Humphries, with Blanton’s finger pointed within a few inches of Humphries face. While the discussion between the two remains unclear and cannot be accurately reported on, Humphries swatted Blanton’s hand from his face to which Blanton became even more irate.

Then, Blanton approached The Shelby Independent, who was speaking to other people in the auditorium. Blanton, after just moments before, stated that board members shouldn’t speak to the media, CCS Board Member Blanton does just that – he spoke to The Shelby Independent, reaffirming his comment.  Blanton confronts The Shelby Independent and does exactly what he just said the board members shouldn’t do.

Shaking hands and not letting go until his comment was concluded, CCS Board Member Blanton spoke to The Shelby Independent, reaffirming his comment, stating he stands by it and if he can’t then neither can anyone else. It was mentioned to him this sounds more like a vendetta, to which he actually agreed, “You dang right it’s a vendetta!” he said to The Shelby Independent, again mentioning he was censured for his comments (in 2023), “If I can’t do it then nobody else can either!” Blanton kept pointing his finger in close proximity, but not at anyone's face this time.

All this was said to The Shelby Independent immediately after the meeting concluded… speaking to the media, stating board members shouldn’t speak to any media about anything “No, not to you, or about nothing, at all!” he added, still pointing and waving a finger at the media.

It must be noted that he approached the Shelby Independent at the edge of the row of seats where media had been sitting during the meeting. Blanton was not approached.

The Shelby Independent responded that if this is why he is doing such a thing it doesn’t sound like it’s what’s best for the students (if it’s only a vendetta to him) to which Blanton simply said “Well,” and shrugged. The Shelby Independent broke free of the clasped handshake and walked away at that point, headed to the opposite aisle, since Blanton was blocking the exit from the row of seats.

Board Member Walter Spurling was absent from Monday’s meeting.

The next Cleveland County Public School Board meeting will be held on Feb. 9, at 6 p.m.

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Chuck Thompson is a reporter and columnist for The Shelby Independent. 

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