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Managers' association censures Nicholson over Juneteenth Facebook post

David Nicholson spoke during the opening ceremony of the Apple Festival in 2019. [LIGHTNING FILE PHOTO]

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 30, 2023

The North Carolina City & County Management Association announced Thursday that it had publicly censured former N.C. Apple Festival director David Nicholson and revoked his Life Membership in the organization after determining that his remarks mocking the Juneteenth holiday last June violated its ethics standards.

At the time he made the remarks via a Facebook post, he was a Life Member of the NC City & County Management Association and bound by the association’s professional code of ethics, Rob Shepherd, NCCCMA executive director, said in a statement released to local media Thursday morning.

"Association members, as a condition of membership, pledge to uphold the code of ethics in their conduct and decisions to merit the trust of the citizens of their community, elected officials and staff they serve," the association said. "And as a condition of membership, members agree to submit to a peer-to-peer review under established enforcement procedures should there be an allegation of unethical conduct."

Because Nicholson, a former Henderson County manager, at the time of his statement was fully retired from the local government management profession and a Life Member of the Association, Tenets 1 and 3 (of the ethics code) applied to him. The association's Professional Conduct Committee and its executive committee found that Mr. Nicholson violated Tenet 3, which states that members must “demonstrate by word and action the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all public, professional, and personal relationships in order that the member may merit the trust and respect of the elected and appointed officials, employees, and the public."

The Code of Ethics guidelines, which provides additional guidance to association members, also says that “members should treat people fairly, with dignity and respect and should not engage in, or condone bullying behavior, harassment, sexual harassment or discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, age, disability, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation” and that they “should conduct themselves so as to maintain public confidence in their position and profession, the integrity of their local government, and in their responsibility to uphold the public trust”.

The longtime executive director of the Apple Festival, Nicholson made comments on Facebook about the Juneteenth holiday that were deemed offensive to the public, the NCCCMA said. Nicholson subsequently resigned from his post leading the festival.

"The NCCCMA Executive Committee considered the impact that Mr. Nicholson’s comments had on the Henderson County community and that the comments he made about the Juneteenth holiday were inappropriate and offensive by members of the public, and therefore a violation of Tenet 3 of the Code of Ethics," the association said.

Nicholson has been notified of the association’s decision that he has been publicly censured and that his Life Membership has been revoked and he is barred from future membership, Shepherd said.

Nicholson did not immediately respond to a call from the Lightning seeking comment.

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