Suspended police officer now says he won’t resign from Johnston County school board
In an about-face, a Smithfield police officer who has been suspended without pay now says he will not resign from his position on the Johnston County school board.
Ronald Johnson, who is the subject of a Smithfield Police Department internal investigation, had told The JoCo Report on Friday that he would resign from the school board because he’s “not in position to govern or lead.”
But in a new statement Wednesday to the JoCo Report, Johnson said that he’s no longer resigning after receiving ‘overwhelming support from people asking me to stay.”
“I understand what is at stake, and I will hang on as long as I possibly can,” Johnson said in the new statement. “There were poor decisions that were made in my personal life, but they do not define me in my position as an advocate of the stakeholders of JCPS.
“A group of people are trying to use those choices to force me out of office. I know the next few months will be incredibly tough and I am asking that everyone be patient until I am in a position to respond.”
The statement comes as Smithfield Police put Johnson on unpaid administrative leave on Wednesday. Johnson had initially been placed on paid administrative leave on July 5, when Smithfield Police began their internal investigation of the 17-year veteran.
“Det. Johnson’s administrative leave was switched to without pay as of this afternoon,” Lt. T.W. West, a Smithfield Police spokesman, said in an email Wednesday. “The internal investigation is still ongoing and this is a personnel matter so no further information is available for release.”
Johnson did not return an email and voice mail message Wednesday from The News & Observer requesting comment. Johnson has only communicated via The JoCo Report, which has been a supporter of the controversial school board member.
‘No matter the cost’
In his statement Wednesday, Johnson said he would stay on the school board because “I have to see this through no matter the cost.”
“There are things happening right now, and many people that are unaware of what is going on,” Johnson said. “I will release additional information when I am able, and in the event I cannot produce the information, I have given it to individuals.”
Johnson was elected to the school board in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. He’s not up for re-election until 2024.
Johnston is North Carolina’s seventh-largest school district, with more than 37,000 students.
School board chairman Todd Sutton has previously said that the board doesn’t have the authority to suspend or remove Johnson.
“Removal of Board members is prosecuted by the local district attorney and governed by GS 14-230,” Sutton said in an email last week.
Johnson made waves in 2019 and 2020 accusing school district leaders of engaging in corrupt behavior.
Johnson also made national headlines in 2021 spearheading a new school board policy that puts rules on how teachers can discuss race and racism. For instance, the policy says students can’t be taught that racism is a permanent part of American life.
Johnson, a Republican, has been working with a group of conservative school board candidates to get them elected this year.
‘False accusations’
Johnson’s new statement about “poor decisions” in his personal life comes after he had said last week that he’s been the target of “false accusations.”
“Some people are taking this opportunity to torment me and my family regarding these false accusations,” Johnson said in Friday’s statement. “There comes a time when you need to step away from the drama and all the ones creating it. All things considered, I am not in position to govern or lead.”
Also in last week’s statement, Johnson said he had “been the subject of relentless threats and harassment, which include receiving threatening text messages from an anonymous phone number while I’m at board meetings and public places.”
Johnson said the threats were reported.
Last month, Johnson filed a complaint accusing a woman of stalking him. The complaint was dropped a week later.
