Dr. Anthony T. Spearman and Rev. William J. Barber II, both former presidents of the North Carolina NAACP is alleged to have setup a woman to make false sexual allegations against a prominent member to stop him from becoming NC NAACP President.

The alleged set-up by the former presidents was to destroy, assassinate, and stop Rev. Curtis Gatewood from running for the state conference presidency in 2017 and 2019, specifically.

Former NC NAACP President, Rev. William J. Barber II knew he was violating NAACP’s constitution and bylaws when he marched Jazmyne Childs to a September 2019 press conference to make allegations against Rev. Gatewood, that’s still to this day unsubstantiated. 

In the press conference, Jazmyne Childs alleged that her former boss, Rev. Gatewood sexually harrassed her during her short time with the North Carolina NAACP, but what Childs did not mention was, is that she and her friend, Tyler Swanson, was about to be fired by Rev. Gatewood for failure to meet professional standards, serving as negative influences, and habitual tardiness months before her allegations.

Three months before Child’s made unfounded allegations against Rev. Gatewood in May 2017, Rev. Gatewood was preparing to recommend that Child’s contract with the state conference not be renewed.

In the email obtained by The North Carolina Beat, Rev. Gatewood was reminding NC NAACP leaders that Child’s contract had expired on February 17, 2017, and wanted to talk to Rev. Barber if there were plans on renewing or extending the contracts for Childs and Swanson.

READ EMAIL BELOW:

Ultimately, Rev. Barber ignored Rev. Gatewood’s request to have a say in the determination of Childs and Swanson’s future with the NC NAACP and extended both of their contracts in which Rev. Gatewood disagreed for the aforementioned reasons.

The attacks on Rev. Gatewood overwhelmingly grew against him by Childs, Swanson, Rev. Barber and eventually Dr. Spearman because of his disagreement with Rev. Barber decision to continue the contracts of two individuals who lacked the “ethic and moral responsibility” to work for a social justice organization. Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman also knew that Rev. Gatewood was a common threat to their personal agendas, influence, funding, jobs, and their alleged corruptionists internal attempts to hide financial malfeasance.

One of the reasons to believe Rev. Barber extended Swanson’s contract is because the two were personally close to each other and Swanson replaced Barber’s son, William Barber, III as the NC NAACP Youth Field Secretary. Sources say at one point, Swanson was a live-in roommate with two of Rev. Barber’s children and was often a source of transportation for his daughter to NCCU campus where she was attending at the time. Swanson often used taking Rev. Barber’s daughter to school as an excuse for arriving to work late. But Rev. Gatewood was not persuaded by anyone’s personal ties to Barber, his family, or church. Rev. Gatewood simply did his job.

The close relationship Swanson had to the Barber family showed and caused Swanson to believe that he was above the need to follow the guidelines that were implemented by policies, staff meetings, and other directives coming from Rev. Gatewood while Rev. Barber was often out of the office, sources said.

As time passed by, Swanson’s job started shifting towards spying on Rev. Gatewood by trying to record him and secretly gain access to all internal emails belonging to Rev. Gatewood. Swanson was also said to have been spreading gossip, mischaracterizing, undermining and in other ways worked to sabotage Rev. Gatewood. 

When Jazmyne Childs made her allegations against Rev. Gatewood, people within the NC NAACP and across the state started questioning the validity of her claims. 

In one of the allegations made by Childs, she said on May 2, 2017, “the staff in the office were setting up for my co-worker’s Laurel Ashton’s surprise going away party. We left the lights off in the room, hoping she would not see what we were doing. I was unpacking the food and setting it up on the table when I felt someone’s breath on my neck and then I felt him press his penis against my buttocks. I turned around quickly and saw the same supervisor. I yelled loudly, “Why are you hovering over me. That’s gross. Move.” 

Although then NC State Secretary Sylvia Barnes was present that whole day and attended the farewell event, Childs never reported any of the May 2, 2017 allegations to Barnes.

During the bias investigation against Rev. Gatewood, Barnes stated that she never observed Rev. Gatewood say anything inappropriate to a woman or approach a woman in an inappropriate way. She also said that she never observed any inappropriate interaction between Childs and Gatewood.

Sources tell The North Carolina Beat that Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman hid the conclusion report and its findings from Rev. Gatewood. The report is also alleged to have downplayed Barnes’ statement about her never witnessing any inappropriate interaction between Childs and Rev. Gatewood. The report is said to be full of gossip, hearsay, and unsubstantiated allegations.

The two former presidents also hid the report from the NC NAACP Executive Committee, according to sources.

Attorney April Dawson, who was hired illegitimately by Rev. Barber, who investigated Child’s allegations against Rev. Gatewood was not an “independent investigator.” Sources say Dawson was directly associated with the NC NAACP Legal Redress Committee Chair, a radio talk show program named Legal Eagle Review and she was on Democracy NC Board of Directors.

Dawson’s report is said to have not been impartial and because she had direct ties with Rev. Barber, she was no “Independent Investigator”. 

An investigator who is confirmed to be directly connected to a particular influential party or party associated with an investigation, the investigator is no longer said to be “independent.”

Her report was based on gossip, hearsay, lies, biases, and ulterior motives, sources say.

Because of her frivolous report, and already concluded determination, Rev. Gatewood was denied the presumption of innocence, due process, and equal protection under the law. 

The 2019 NC NAACP Election Procedural Committee made a statement in response to Dawson’s report and about the press conference held on September 18, 2019, which violated the NAACP constitution and bylaws.

The North Carolina Beat has obtained the statement and it can be read below.

On September 25, 2019, a second press conference which also violated NAACP constitution and bylaws was held by Rev. Barber and Jazmyne Childs to follow up on the September 18, 2019, press conference.

Over 50 NAACP leaders across North Carolina filed complaints against Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman about how they were targeting and mistreating Rev. Gatewood during the time Childs allegations came out and afterwards, according to sources. 

Rev. Curtis Gatewood had dedicated his life to social justice and has never committed or been charged with any crime involving violence, sex, or any other act that could produce physical or emotional harm toward another huban being, sources say.

The North Carolina Beat did learn that Rev. Gatewood has been arrested for civil disobedience as he fought for civil and human rights. His arrests for these came as a result of peacefully protesting  racial gender-based, economic, environmental, judicial, lawless “law enforcement,” educational, legislative, child related, injustices and violence, especially as they disparately and oppressively impact Black Americans and the nation’s most vulnerable beings.

Arrests that the late congressman John Lewis would call, “Good Trouble”.

During the time of these unfounded and false allegations, Greensboro Youth Advisor, which is NC NAACP’s largest youth council, responded to the mistreatment of Rev. Gatewood. They also responded to the mischaracterization of Rev. Gatewood among the youth and young adults. 

READ THE LETTER BELOW:

The NC NAACP State Youth & College Advisor Rena McNeil also wrote a letter about Rev. Gatewood.

READ LETTER BELOW:

The NC NAACP 2nd Vice President also filed a complaint. The complaint was against Rev. Barber about how he was mistreating Rev. Gatewood at the time.

READ NC NAACP 2ND VICE PRESIDENT COMPLAINT AGAINST REV. BARBER BELOW:

Letters after letters were sent to the National NAACP about the mistreatment of Rev. Gatewood at the hands of Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman, sources say.

On June 17, 2018, Attorney Crystal M. Richardson called a “Cease and Desist” order to ban Rev. Gatewood from NC NAACP Activities unfair, unprecedented, unreasonable, and unconstitutional. Richardson also said the order was based on unproven allegations and was without due process. The letter sent to Rev. Gatewood in 2018 by Dr. Spearman also had Rev. Barber, who was no longer the state’s president at the time, signature on it. 

READ CEASE AND DESIST LETTER BELOW:

Now read Attorney Crystal M Richardson response to the above letter below:

Since the age of 10, Rev. Curtis Gatewood has been a member of the NAACP and is known for leading and organizing initiatives of social justice within the African American community. He is known for rising within various capacities of local and state leadership as part of the NAACP. Rev. Gatewood has coordinated some of the largest mobilizations in North Carolina’s history. 

Those include but are not limited to:

• 1,000 Men March Against Violence & Self-Hatred (Spearheader in Durham, NC -1995),
• The “Million Man March” (Co-Convener for Durham, NC – 1995)
• One of the First Americans to Publicly Protest President George W. Bush’s Planned Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (Durham, NC September 15, 2001)
• Moral Monday (A Pioneer, coalition coordinator, and organizer – 2013 to 2017)
• One Nation Working Together (NC Director 2010)
• America’s Journey for Justice (NC Coordinator – 2015)
• Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ) People’s Assembly (A Pioneer, Mobilization Chair, and Coalition Coordinator – 2006 to 2017)

Rev. Curtis Gatewood’s work for social justice landed him numerous performance awards from the NAACP.

Some of his awards are below:

• Elected as Youngest Durham NAACP Branch President 1995
• NC NAACP Branch President of Year (Durham NAACP 1996)
• NC NAACP Branch of the Year (Durham, NC 1996)
• Highest NAACP Membership Percentage Increase in Southeast Region (Durham NAACP – 1997)
• Durham NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet Honoree (1997)
• Shaw University NAACP Award 1998)
• Elected NC NAACP 2nd Vice President 2005
• NC NAACP President’s Award (Barber Administration) 2010
• NC NAACP America’s Journey for Justice Award (Barber Administration) 2015
• NC NAACP President’s Award (Barber Administration) 2016 

In addition, Rev. Curtis Gatewood received a certificate for serving under Rev. Barber as the longest serving staff member under the Barber Administration. However, when Rev. Gatewood began to pursue his own path and endeavor toward the NC NAACP Presidency in 2017, the allegations of “sexual harrassment” came out by Childs. Earlier in the year of 2017, after Rev. Barber announced he would be stepping down as the NC NAACP President, that’s when Rev. Gatewood started to pursue the presidency, which led to false claims against his name.

It was when Rev. Gatewood announced that he would be running for the state’s presidency, when the allegations and vendetta against him started. 

After Dawson completed the report in 2017, Rev. Gatewood was not afforded the opportunity to review it. Instead, Rev. Barber and his minions took it straight to the media, two years later and month before the 2019 NC NAACP Presidential election, an election that Rev. Gatewood was destined to win. Because of these allegations in 2017, Rev. Gatewood was not able to run but did in 2019.

In 2019, Rev. Gatewood’s name was added to the ballot for NC NAACP President but Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman worked tirelessly to stop what would have been a landslide win for Rev. Gatewood, according to sources. 

The egregious motives against Rev. Gatewood by the two former presidents were nothing but political. Especially, because when Xena Eriksen from the Raleigh-Apex NAACP branch had allegations of sexual assault, both of the men swept it under the rug. The allegations Eriksen had were far more serious than the petty and false allegations Childs were making. Eriksen’s allegations were swept under the rug because the focus was to try and do anything to stop Rev. Gatewood from becoming NC NAACP President. 

Here’s the question. Why would Rev. Barber wait until a month (September 2019) before the October 5, 2019 NC NAACP Election to bring Jazmyne Childs forth to the world to make false allegations public that happened two years prior, in 2017? 

It seems like the move was an effort to destroy Rev. Gatewood’s otherwise outstanding chance to succeed and become elected as NC NAACP President. 

Again, Childs press conference on September 25, 2019, violated the NAACP constitution and bylaws under Article X Section 4a.

A member who commences any external action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, against any of the foregoing, shall have his or her membership automatically revoked.

According to sources in the National NAACP, Childs and everyone who was a member of the NAACP involved in the press conference membership should have automatically been revoked as stated in Article X, Section 4a, because the press conference was an external action. 

In September 2019, Childs had filed an Article X Internal Complaint with the National NAACP before the September 25, 2019 press conference and then turned around and committed an external action. 

When Childs had her come to Jesus moment and realized that her membership could be revoked, she wrote a letter to the National NAACP requesting a hearing about or dismissing her initial complaint, according to sources.

In a frivolous lawsuit Childs filed against Rev. Gatewood, she also added the National NAACP as a defendant alleging that they did not revoke Rev. Gatewood’s membership due to her allegations against him. But sources say, if anything, Childs membership should have been revoked because she broke the NAACP constitution and bylaws when she held a press conference headed by Rev. Barber.

Rev. Gatewood NAACP membership had been suspended for two years without due process or any evidence to support Childs outrageous disgruntling claims. Although Childs broke the NAACP constitution and bylaws, she has gone unpunished. 

Sources tell The North Carolina Beat that Dawson, the so-called “Independent Investigator” in this situation is said to have been paid through financial malfeasance by Rev. Barber. 

When the NC NAACP went on receivership, Gloria Sweet-Love, one of the administrations reprimanded the NC NAACP. In her internal reprimand, Sweet-Love said that the Article X complaints filed against then President Anthony T. Spearman and former President, William J Barber II would further compromise the reputation of the NAACP and releasing them was not an option.

READ Gloria Sweet-Love Letter BELOW:

Sweet-Love said other Article X complaints included: 

“Payments made to individuals (not in budget) without prior approval of the Executive Committee; Disbursement made to individuals and vendors without prior approval or reporting to the Executive Committee; Monies/donations at rallies and events not accounted for in financial report; Lack of transparency in communications between the President, Secretary, and Treasurer; Duties of the Secretary assigned to others without her knowledge or consent; Bypassing the Secretary in the signing of vouchers for disbursement; Ignoring requests for an audit of State Conference finances by an independent auditor for several years; the North Carolina State Conference has and continues to operate in a manner that ignores the sovereignty of the National Office.”

Sweet-Love disclosed that Rev. Barber, Dr. Spearman and treasurer at the time, Daphne Holmes-Johnson was allegedly committing financial malfeasance, avoiding the NC NAACP Executive Committee to make unauthorized payments, making disbursements to individuals that were not in the budget, making payments that was not approved by the Executive Committee, and making payments without the knowledge of the NC NAACP Secretary. The secretary, per NAACP constitution should sign vouchers to disburse payment and because this did not happen, this goes to show that Dawson, the so-called “Independent Investigator” could have possibly been wrongfully hired and paid in violation of the NAACP protocol.

To sum it all up, Dawson was not independent in this investigation and she was not the choice nor was she hired through the legitimate National or NC NAACP process.

When Rev. Barber hired Dawson as the investigator, he was not in compliance with the NAACP rules neither was he transparent or consistent with the required NAACP protocol, according to sources. He was also not inclusive of the Executive Committee. Had Rev. Barber included the collective body of the NC NAACP Executive Members and the Personnel Committee Members, the Executive Committee would have recommended a legitimate independent investigator such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Had this process been taken, and this attack against Rev. Gatewood was not so evident, Dawson would have never been hired as an “independent investigator.” Not only that, but also because she was directly affiliated with committees and boards related to Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman, according to sources.

Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman did things such as blocking the NC NAACP Executive Committee from exercising their powers. They simply did not want Rev. Gatewood to breathe. They did not want the investigation to be fair and impartial and as a result, their corruption had and has been exposed. 

Rev. Curtis Gatewood was unconstitutionally punished.

The checks and balances, according to sources, were not properly applied in this matter. Had they been properly applied, then the NC NAACP Executive Committee would have prevented the two years of hiding the finished personnel report from Rev. Gatewood and the NC NAACP Executive Committee. The report would not have been turned over to the media, especially since it had not been seen or verified by the NC NAACP’s own internal workplace elected officers and Rev. Gatewood.

Had all the rules been followed by Rev. Barber, this would have all come to a different outcome, Childs being exposed as the liar she really is, sources say.

On June 8, 2017, Rev. Gatewood gave notice of his resignation to be effective on June 15, 2017, which if the National and NC NAACP would have hired an independent investigator and not Rev. Barber using financial malfeasance to do so, Rev. Gatewood would have been cleared before his resignation. Sources tell The North Carolina Beat that the allegations could have been resolved way before October 2017, 2019, and 2021 NC NAACP elections. 

Rev. Gatewood did not resign because of the false allegations, he resigned so he could seek NC NAACP Presidency.

On June 14, 2017, Rev. Gatewood submitted his official petition to seek the office of the NC NAACP President. The investigation against Rev. Gatewood by Dawson did not start until October 2017, the month of the NC NAACP Election. Sources say, she should have started her investigation in May 2017, when Childs submitted her claims.

Sources say it was all a plot and plan to stop Rev. Gatewood from becoming NC NAACP President. 

While Rev. Barber, Dr. Spearman, and Holmes-Johnson allegedly worked to take down Rev. Gatewood, they had problems of their own, which is why they couldn’t let Rev. Gatewood win because they knew he would out them on their corruption.

The National NAACP Interim General Counsel Janette McCarthy Wallace sent a letter to then-President Dr. Spearman about his failure to provide documents requested by Administrator Gloria Sweet-Love.

On October 19, 2019, the NAACP National Board of Directors placed the North Carolina State Conference under a Level II Administrator-ship for engaging in conduct that was deemed inimical to the best interests of the NAACP. OnFebruary 29, 2020, Administrator Gloria Sweet-Love acting on behalf of the NAACP National Board of Directors, requested that the North Carolina State Conference provide the following documents to the NAACP National Office…To date, the State Conference has not provided any of the requested documents to the NAACP National Office or the NAACP Administrators.

Interim General Counsel Attorney Wallace demanded Dr. Spearman to send the following documents below by March 18, 2021 or Failure to do so will subject you and the entire Executive Committee of the North Carolina State Conference to suspension, expulsion, or other disciplinary action.”

The documents requested were from the years of September 2013 to December 2019. Rev. Barber’s administration was still in office at the timeframe of 2013–2017 and Dr. Spearman’s administration was 2017–2019.

The National NAACP General Counsel was requesting the following list of

Records: 

• NC NAACP Executive Committee minutes
• NC NAACP Standing Committee minutes
• NC NAACP banks statements
• NC NAACP monthly financial states of income
• NC NAACP annual financial reports
• NC NAACP statements regarding stipends, honorarium, staff salaries, employment contracts, contractors, and consultants

Instead of Rev. Barber resigning like he said he would, he had to stay in to help Dr. Spearman keep Rev. Gatewood out of office. That’s why Dawson was hired. Hired to push their corrupt narrative. 

It’s never an NAACP responsibility to hire anyone to investigate anything, according to sources. But Rev. Barber took it upon himself to not go on with his life but to stay around and execute a massive organized attack on Rev. Gatewood.

Why didn’t Rev. Barber turn these “sexual harassment” allegations over to N.C. NAACP 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents? Why didn’t Rev. Barber allow them to assist in determining who or what was needed relative to the investigation? 

Why didn’t Rev. Barber involve the 1st Vice President, which is who would have replaced him had he not patriarchally worked to block her out?

The answer is simple. Rev. Barber did not want Rev. Gatewood to have a fair, impartial, expeditious, and transparent investigation, according to sources. Sources say he wanted it to be one-sided, with no proof of Childs meritless accusations. SAD.

The same exact oppressive methodology that creates the wrongful convictions, unfair voting, workers’ rights violations, immorality, corruption, discrimination, health care disparities, and the systemic creation of “poor people” that Rev. Barber’s well-funded career and highly televised advocacy profess to oppose was exemplified against Rev. Gatewood.

They say Rev. Barber always told people to do your research and “never be loud and wrong”, a teaching he rejected in the matter of Rev. Gatewood.

Sources say Rev. Barber knew he was “loud and wrong”, when he used a national platform to attack and bully Rev. Gatewood in 2019. Rev. Barber knew Rev. Gatewood would not be able to respond at the level of a platform that he had and to top things off, Rev. Barber never had one conversation with Rev. Gatewood about Childs accusation before he publicly attacked him.

It is very seldom that you see a leader who has a national platform publicly attack someone within his own organization who doesn’t have the same platform to respond, according to sources. 

You would think that speaking to the press before speaking to the man who is the subject of the investigation is “loud and wrong.” Don’t think, it was.

Because the allegations came out under Rev. Barber’s administration, it was his responsibility to impartially resolve the matter internally. But instead, he turned it into an all out assault on Rev. Gatewood. The proof is in the pudding!

Not only did Rev. Barber deny Rev. Gatewood due process, he also violated a worker’s basic right to know what is being placed in their personnel file. Rev. Barber violated that basic worker’s right when he refused Rev. Gatewood’s right to see and examine Dawson’s October 02, 2017 investigation report. Instead, Rev. Barber took the unverified report that was labeled “confidential” to the media.

Sources say this was nothing but Jazmyne Childs retaliating and making frivolous accusations against her supervisor, Rev. Gatewood in order to keep her job and having Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman coach her, so they both could keep their cover-ups of alleged widespread financial malfeasance on the DL.

Although Dawson’s investigation was completed on October 2, 2017, the report was published two years later, and just less than two weeks before the October 5, 2019, NC NAACP Election. Why is that? Because Rev. Gatewood was a candidate and was going to win the presidency.

At the September 2019 press conference, it was Rev. Barber who was a BIG Dr. Spearman supporter, in which Dr. Spearman was Rev. Gatewood’s political rival. Of course Jazmyne Childs and her “close co-worker friend” Tyler Swanson, who both knew that Rev. Gatewood specifically mentioned that they should not have their contracts renewed. Among them were Treasurer Daphne Holmes-Johnson whose financial corruption and policy violation as treasurer, along with any other financial malfeasance connected to Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman administrators, would have been uncovered, audited, terminated, and not tolerated under a Gatewood administration was in attendance, according to sources. 

On September 15, 2019, Rev. Gatewood attended the 2019 NC NAACP Election of Officers Candidates Forum. There, Rev. Gatewood handed out “Rev. Curtis E. Gatewood for NC NAACP President ‘Leadership from the Ground’” brochures. On the back of the brochure, it talked about Rev. Gatewood’s campaign platform and it stated:

“Rev. Gatewood plans to enact timely audits of our financial records…”

The brochure was received by NAACP leaders across the state, including Dr. Spearman and Rev. Barber. 

When the first press conference was held on September 18, 2019, by NC NAACP Treasurer, Holmes Johnson, they knew they were in trouble with their alleged financial malfeasance and had to do something to stop Rev. Gatewood from becoming NC state conference president. 

Gerald Givens Jr, the 2019 NC NAACP Election Procedural Committee Chair, spoke about Holmes-Johnson’s unethical misconduct during the 2019 election process.

“As the NC NAACP 2019 Election Procedures Committee Chair, I tried really hard to make sure all candidates were treated fairly. However, one member of our committee, Mrs. Daphne Holmes-Johnson was relentless in the pursuit to hold back a candidate. In the subsequent attachments, you will see I listened extensively to Mrs. Holmes-Johnson and was never presented any. documentation. Nevertheless, this same individual in that Press Conference inappropriately divulged an NAACP personnel record to the world. That’s Unacceptable.”

Holmes-Johnson deliberately avoided sharing the unfounded, “bought-and-paid” for October 02, 2017 personnel investigative report submitted by so-called “independent investigator” Dawson with Rev. Gatewood, the NC NAACP Personnel Committee, the NC NAACP Executive Committee, and the NC NAACP Election Procedures Committee.

Sources say Holmes-Johnson and Rev. Barber did not care if Rev. Gatewood was innocent of the allegations or not because it was their deliberate plan to stop Rev. Gatewood destined to win chance of being elected as NC NAACP President.

In 2017, when these unfounded allegations came out against Rev. Gatewood, he wasn’t a threat to Rev. Barber, Dr. Spearman, or Holmes-Johnson because he was denied eligible to run for NC NAACP president. On July 28, 2017, Rev. Gatewood at the time, sent a letter to NC NAACP Election Procedural Committee, asking for an explanation as to why he was ineligible. 

However, in 2019, Rev. Gatewood became more than a qualified candidate for NC NAACP President. 

Rev. Gatewood was on the “Official List of Candidates for Office” letter that was sent out by Carmen Watkins, dated September 25, 2019.

On the same day the letter was sent out, September 25, 2019,  Rev. Barber and Jazmyne Childs went to the media and without integrity, spoke to the world about false sexual allegations. 

On September 11, 2019, the National NAACP received Childs internal Article X complaint about the “allegations” against Rev. Gatewood. However, on September 18, 2019, Holmes-Johnson took external action by going to the press to read the Article X complaint just a week after the National NAACP received the Article X complaint. 

What is even worse, is that Childs, Rev. Barber, Holmes-Johnson and Dr. Spearman campaign supporters came out publicly and bashed the National NAACP for being slow to respond to the week old Article X complaint that Rev. Barber had been holding in the state office for more than two years, in which he still refuses to share the investigative report with Rev. Gatewood, the NC NAACP Personnel Committee, and the NC NAACP Executive Committee.

Sources say Rev. Barber used every resource he could to try and destroy Rev. Gatewood. One of the resources Rev. Barber used was Repairers of the Breach communication director, Martha Waggoner. Waggoner is a reported for the Associated Press (AP) who wrote and published Rev. Barber’s false narratives, lies, graphic sexual gossip, and one-sided character assasination against Rev. Gatewood.

Rev. Barber rejected the moral principles he professes to represent when he and Dr. Spearman hid the October 02, 2017 investigative report and then exposed it to the world just before the 2019 NC NAACP Election. The move was to sabotage Rev. Gatewood’s successful election campaign.

Sources say Rev. Barber did everything in his power to attack Rev. Gatewood, his livelihood, and his family with no facts and did not hesitate trying to destroy Rev. Gatewood’s talents, which he himself benefited from for more than 10 years. Rev. Barber never spoke to Rev. Gatewood about the allegations before going on national tv with Childs false allegations propping them up to be “true”, when they were indeed false and never happened, according to sources.

Throughout Rev. Gatewood’s more than 40 years in the workforce, no woman has ever accused him of any type of sexual misconduct. Childs is the first, and the frivolous allegations only stemmed to save her job, and those accused of financial malfeasance, Rev. Barber, Dr. Spearman, and Holmes-Johnson.

On July 5, 2017, Rev. Gatewood released an official statement about the allegations and denied every allegation made against him.

Each and every accusation and allegation contained on the Article X presented to the NAACP by Jazmyne Childs’ unverified complaint is denied. I did not commit the acts detailed in the accusations and allegations of the Article X, Rev. Gatewood said in a statement.

The National NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson suspended Rev. Gatewood’s NAACP membership without him receiving due process and no evidence of the allegations brought forth. On a letter dated September 26, 2019, Johnson told Rev. Gatewood that his lifetime membership with the NAACP would be suspended and that he was being removed from the NC NAACP 2019 Election Ballot. 

Rev. Gatewood had not violated any written NAACP policy, had not received due process but was being suspended because of allegations from members of the NAACP who violated policy Article X, Section 4a by taking “external action” which requires their memberships to be automatically revoked. 

The National NAACP allowed Holmes-Johnson, who served as the NAACP Treasurer to violate many financial policies and also assisted in helping Childs sue them, according to sources. Sources also say the National NAACP allowed then president Dr. Spearman, who did not win the 2019 NC NAACP Election and had several pending Article X Complaints against him in addition for failure to provide financial records serve out his full 2nd term while keeping Rev. Gatewood, his opponent, suspended for two years. 

This is sad that these individuals who attacked Rev. Gatewood were able to get away with not turning over financial records for the NC NAACP despite repeated requests.

On February 18, 2021, the national NAACP Administrators requested for the 2nd time the NC NAACP financial records for 2013–2019 and the records were not provided.

On March 5, 2021, the NC NAACP, under the administration of Dr. Spearman, received a 3rd request from the National NAACP General Counsel for financial records for 2013–2019 and the records were not provided.

On September 02, 2021, the NC NAACP received a 4th request from the National NAACP General Counsel for financial records for 2013–2019 and the records were not provided. 

Holmes-Johnson, Dr. Spearman, and Rev. Barber knew they would be in quick sand had Rev. Gatewood became NC NAACP President. 

In Childs Article X complaint to the National NAACP listed as #9, she states, “Since I came forward at least two other young women have said they were sexually harassed by Curtis Gatewood. They never reported it to the NC NAACP.” But what’s mind blowing and not really shocking, in the complaint listed as #10, Childs says, “ I have discovered …Gatewood is still trying to be a leader of the NC NAACP and is running in this fall’s election for President of the NC NAACP. This will place many women in North Carolina and the nation in danger, as it will enable him to continue to commit sexual harassment.”

Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman were amongst those who signed their signature supporting Childs in asking the National NAACP to suspend Rev. Gatewood’s membership.

In December 2017, Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman sent Rev. Gatewood a cease and desist letter based on Childs frivolous accusation accusing him of “additional complaints.” However, the letter was illegitimate because it excluded the NC NAACP Executive Committee, according to sources. Rev. Barber’s signature on the letter wasn’t supposed to be on the letter because he was no longer president as his tenure ended in October 2017.

Attorney Crystal Richardson wrote a letter on July 17, 2018, requesting the National NAACP revoke “Unconstitutional and Unverified” cease and desist letter Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman sent Rev. Gatewood.

Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman’s actions violated NAACP policies and common personnel confidential practices. The men did whatever they could to stop what would have been a victory for Rev. Gatewood’s over then president, Dr. Spearman. They could not play a fair game or run a clean campaign, instead they cheated, defamed, avoided the internal process, violated due process, changed the rules, and tried to convict Rev. Gatewood in the court of public opinion, rather than allow it to play out in the court of law. 

When you have two individuals who break the rules and refuse to follow protocol to rightfully obtain funds from an organization and turn over requested financial records and others, why wouldn’t you believe they would not do anything they can to stop someone they knew was about clean house if he had won?

On October 15, 2019, Rev. Gatewood requested a hearing on his suspension. According to the NAACP policy, “Upon receipt of the timely request, a hearing panel will convene within 60 days or as soon as possible.” Rev. Gatewood did not get a hearing for nearly two years. The NAACP violated their own rules, and it’s probably because they were afraid of Rev. Barber and these pressers and lawsuits that instead of them standing their ground and following their constitution, they succumbed to the fat man.

On August 11, 2021, an internal NAACP hearing convened, but as of July 2022, a ruling on the matter has not been decided, according to sources. 

During the time of Rev. Gatewood’s suspension, the matter of his membership was put on ease. Even as the 2021 NC NAACP Election was being planned, Rev. Gatewood remained suspended without a violation of policy. How do you suspend someone who hasn’t broken the rules? His suspension barred him from running in the 2021 NC NAACP Election because of allegations that were simply not true. 

Rev. Gatewood remained suspended from the NAACP and the election ballot without violating any policy of the NAACP constitution and/or bylaws. As the 2021 NC NAACP election was being planned, he remained suspended and was not allowed to run at no fault of his own.

The unproven allegations in this matter have dragged and punished Rev. Gatewood for four years and has stopped him from professional opportunities.

Sources say Childs, Rev. Barber, and Dr. Spearman used lies and discriminatory practices to block Rev. Gatewood right to freedom and his specific right to seek position of the NC NAACP president for three consecutive years, 2017, 2019, and 2021. He has been denied due process and has not violated any NAACP policy.

Jazyme Childs has not produced no evidence to support her allegations against Rev. Gatewood.

In Childs civil summons lawsuit filed on February 3, 2020, she claimed that on February 6, 2017, she was “afraid” of Rev. Gatewood. Sources say Childs was inside an office that had a glass window where other staff and visitors could see inside at all times. Childs admitted that on this day, Rev. Gatewood only spoke to her about “an upcoming rally.” Her claims of being “afraid” were unbelievable, and unfounded and she has presented no evidence to support such.

This same day, Rev. Gatewood was also claimed to have been “looking” Childs “up and down”, while they were in the office.

In Ingram v. Boswell 1953 case, “reckless eyeballing” was concluded that sexual allegations regarding what an individual is supposedly thinking or “looking at” in a public place or in other common areas “go beyond the reach of Human law.” 

Childs presented no evidence in her pending lawsuit against Rev. Gatewood to support these claims.

On May 10, 2022, in a complaint, Childs said Rev. Gatewood created an “hostile and intimidating work environment”, which turned out to be false, according to sources. They say Childs came into work and at one point in the area that led to multiple workstations, she loudly slammed the door in the face of Rev. Gatewood, in which she later admitted in one of her accounts of what happened. 

Childs also claimed that Rev. Gatewood created a “hostile and intimidating work environment” on May 15 and May 23, 2017. On May 15 2017, was a press conference day. 

During the press conference, sources say several attendees’ media representatives were there and no one reported or witnessed a “hostile environment.” Childs alleged that Rev. Gatewood looked at her with a “smirk” on his face, which she said “created a hostile and intimidating work environment.”

Sources who was there that day says it did not happen and although Rev. Gatewood has denied these claims, I want to know, how do you “create a hostile and intimidating work environment” by looking at them with a “smirk” on their face? The shit people make up.

Childs make another claim, claiming that on May 23, 2017, Rev. Gatewood was “50 feet away” while at an outside rally and “looks” at her. 

Let’s be real? How is this sexual harrassment? First of all, you wouldn’t know someone was looking at you if you weren’t looking at them..but I digress. Furthermore, how could Dawson, who claims she was an investigator, substantiate claims that someone looking at someone was “creating a hostile and intimidating work environment?” 

Sources say Rev. Gatewood was wearing eyeglasses with transitional lenses which turn dark outside. Which raises more questions to how Childs could say Rev. Gatewood was making “eye contact” with her.

Childs claims of “looking” against Rev. Gatewood were nothing more than reckless eyeballing claims, which have been vehemently denied.

Now, we see why Dawson did not want to disclose her completed report of this investigation because of the absurdities mentioned by Childs.

People have a right to open their eyes and look at anybody they choose, which is not sexual harrassment.

What is sexual harassment? 

Harassment can include “sexual harassment” or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.

None of the above definition of “Sexual Harrassment” happened and Childs has presented NO evidence in her lawsuit when she filed or doing the discovery process.

Childs said that on February 8, 2017, Rev. Gatewood called her and was using a “seductive voice”, which was not true. What happened was, Childs was out sick with the flu, according to sources. Rev. Gatewood called Childs this one time out of her 5 months tenure working for the NC NAACP, and she admits that in court records. Rev. Gatewood called Childs to check on the status of her sickness because she was hired temporarily for the HKonJ rally in which Rev. Gatewood served for a number of years as HKonJ Coalition Coordinator and it was scheduled to begin on February 11, 2017.

Not at one time did Childs say Rev. Gatewood mentioned anything sexual or intimidating to her. Plus, Rev. Gatewood was calling her from the NC NAACP Headquarters.

Let’s be real? Childs turned Rev. Gatewood calling and checking up on her as an event she was hired for was fast approaching into a him having “low seductive voice”. 

In another claim, Childs said on April 26, 2017 “Gatewood pulled up a chair and sat next to her…I was terrified and left the restaurant.” According to sources who were there, it never happened. After moving a lot of furniture, members of the staff went to a restaurant and ate lunch. Sources say Barnes who was supervising the staff on April 26 was near Childs during the lunch break. And Barnes already stated that she never witnessed anything inappropriate between Childs and Rev. Gatewood.

However, Childs claimed she was “terrified”. 

Sources say those claims were absurd, false, and never happened.

Also that day, Childs and her “co-worker friend” Swanson claimed Rev. Gatewood “looked” at Childs as she bent over. However, Barnes and other staff members was inside the room during this time. Sources say Rev. Gatewood was wearing his eyeglasses with dark transitional lenses, eyeglasses he’s been wearing for YEARS, prior to knowing Childs.

Who looks back while bending over to see if someone is watching you anyway? 

The NAACP is no place for you to twerk or be trying to throw it back, maam!

Another claim Childs made was on May 2, 2017, she alleged that Rev. Gatewood brushed his body against hers while she was bending and putting food containers on the table for a farewell party, but sources say it did not happen.

At the press conference in front of the world, she made it sound believable…she said Rev. Gatewood “pressed his penis up against her buttocks.” Why didn’t she allege this in her written complaint? Why did she wait until she got to the press conference? Maybe Rev.Barber told her to add to the lie? Hmm.

If you’re alleging something like this, wouldn’t you think to clarify if the accuser took his penis out or if his clothes were on? Be mindful, Childs claimed that the “lights were off, “ so, anyone listening or reading would think that Rev. Gatewood came out of his clothes in a “dark room.” 

The room this alleged to have happened in was the conference room, where sources say the door remained open as staff and visitors constantly and freely went in and out until the event started. Sources say one side of the conference room as a huge glass window, which also would keep the room illuminated regardless of whether the lights were on or off. 

Sources say it would have made no sense for staff to set up and prepare for a party in a dark room at the NC NAACP office, which is a professional place. 

Furthermore, if someone did this to you, why didn’t you say anything to someone or yell when it happened? Because it never happened, according to sources. 

Plus, Rev. Gatewood would have had to return back to the “crime scene”, because he had to sit front and center before the attendees and preside over the farewell event and you sit there and say nothing? After you claim he just pressed his penis up on you? Gurllllll!

Sources tell The North Carolina Beat that Childs made all of this up. They also tell us that this was not a “surprise party” as Childs alleges. The honoree was there along with other staff members well before the start of the event and the honoree knew exactly why she was there.

The only “witness” Childs had to this alleged incident, was her so-called friend, “co-worker friend” Tyler Swanson.

Swanson wanted in on the attack against Rev. Gatewood because on February 21, 2017, Rev. Gatewood also included in the email about Jazmyne Childs, that “I am also recommending based upon my professional observations, that Tyler Swanson not serve as a trainer for future youth field operatives…I can professionally and reasonably elaborate at anytime in regards to this recommendation.”

The proof is in the pudding that Rev. Gatewood was working to terminate Childs and Swanson way before any of these allegations came. 

Childs did not call 911 on May 2, 2017 nor did she report what she alleged to her office supervisor at the time, NC NAACP State Secretary Sylvia Barnes, who was at the office the entire day of the farewell event and attended the event along with Childs, Rev. Gatewood, and other civil rights attorneys, activists, and staff members all while Rev. Gatewood presided over the event. 

Rev. Barber and Dr. Spearman gave Childs everything she needed to make these allegations against Rev. Gatewood, no matter how much it violated his rights. No matter how it made them look, no matter how much it harmed the NAACP, no matter how much it betrayed the mission of justice and the moral principles within their so-call “Moral Movement”, according to sources.

No matter how far they went out of the boundaries of truth, law, reason, mercy, morality, or constitutionality, they created this smear campaign.

What was done to Rev. Curtis Gatewood in this matter, will go down as the largest civil rights betrayal toward a civil rights worker, Rev. Curtis Gatewood, from civil rights colleagues within a civil rights organization in civil rights history.

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