Concerns over the safety and legality of an asbestos abatement project at Kilgore College have been part of ongoing controversy at the campus, the latest of which involves a life-threatening response to a criticism of the administration’s dysfunction.
A bullet was fired through the front door of Kilgore College board member Rev. Brian Nutt’s house the day after the pastor spoke out about the administration’s asbestos debacle, and although the identity of the shooter is unknown, Rev. Nutt believes the act of violence was related to his criticism. “You hate to make assumptions, but I don’t believe in coincidences that often,” he said. “And when it happens the night after this huge story comes out in the paper, with audio recordings that go against all of their denials—it has to be tied.”
Only two of the board’s 11 members, Rev. Nutt and Mr. Carlos Griffin, have been outspoken critics of the administration’s numerous missteps, which, in addition to the questionable asbestos abatement, also include a sketchy land deal and secret tape recordings. Critics of the administration have called for the retirement of President Bill Holda, who has dismissed the criticism as typical naysaying from the likes of Rev. Nutt and Mr. Griffin. “I have found that a number of board-related issues, as well as a lack of board unity and synchronicity, has been a distraction that has prevented me from focusing on some of the big issues for Kilgore College,” President Holda has written.
Mr. Griffin explained his position that the board wasn’t doing enough to prevent the administration from acting in ways that tarnish the reputation of Kilgore College. “We’re in decline,” Mr. Griffin admitted. “We’ve got entrenched management there—administration—they’re going to do it their way, hell or high water, and it may not make very good business sense, but they’ve got enough votes on the board to rubber-stamp.”
There’s no way of knowing exactly how detrimental to student and faculty health the asbestos abatement may have been, but prolonged exposure to the toxin can result in a variety of respiratory illnesses, including mesothelioma, which has an extremely high mortality rate.
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