By Joanna Putman
Police1
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — Three instructors from Blue Ridge Community College in North Carolina have had their teaching certifications revoked following a state investigation into alleged training misconduct, WLOS reported.
The North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission made the decision effective August 23, 2024, impacting Waynesville Police Chief David Adams, Brevard Captain Danny Godman and Columbus Police Chief Kenneth Scott Hamby, all of whom are accused of violating training standards.
The revocations include certifications for general instructor, in-service training coordinator and specialized subject-control arrest techniques instructor, a commission spokesperson said.
These decisions come after allegations surfaced about improper conduct during the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program, particularly in the subject control arrest techniques (SCAT) class, where non-certified role players reportedly used excessive force against students, according to the report.
This disciplinary action follows a broader suspension of Blue Ridge Community College’s law enforcement training program, which was halted for five years due to multiple rule violations.
“The school operated in a manner that led to the physical and verbal abuse of students who you were teaching that was demeaning or disruptive and so detrimental to instruction that was contrary to the Commission rules that allowed non-certified role players to injure students, and that created false records of students participation and testing,” the commission stated. “This was all done with inadequate oversight and staff who directly participated in these acts or who failed to correct them remain employed and involved in Commission-certified courses.”