NC Rep. Cecil Brockman pressured to resign amid sex crime investigation. Could he be expelled?

HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) – A North Carolina state representative remains in office amid calls for his resignation after he was charged with child sex crimes earlier this month, raising questions about possible next steps if he does not leave office voluntarily. 

Community leaders gathered last week to discuss next steps after Rep. Cecil Antonio Brockman (D-District 60), who serves the southern portion of Guilford County, was charged with two felony counts of statutory rape and two counts of felony indecent liberties on Oct. 8 following an SBI investigation. Brockman reportedly met the alleged victim, now 15, online, and they lived together in Atlanta before moving to High Point in June.

Prosecutors allege that Brockman was tracking the teen using an app, called 911 when he couldn’t get to the victim’s location and tried to force his way through emergency room doors when the teen was hospitalized. He was initially denied bond because the magistrate said he used his position as a legislator to make contact with the victim. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation, referring it to High Point police who in turn contacted the State Bureau of Investigation.

Gov. Josh Stein, Democratic House Leader Rep. Robert Reives (D-District 54), North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton and others immediately called for Brockman to resign from the North Carolina House of Representatives, where he’s served six terms. He was reelected to his district in 2024.

State House Speaker Rep. Destin Hall (R-District 87) told the Winston-Salem Journal in the wake of Brockman’s arrest that, if he didn’t resign in a “timely” fashion, they would review other options, which could include expulsion. As of Oct. 20, the N.C. House of Representatives has not made any movement to begin the process of expelling Brockman from his seat yet, House Clerk James White said in an email response last week.

White explained that “expulsion typically involves the formation of a committee to investigate alleged misconduct, report findings, and recommend to the House what action should be taken. Any expulsion would require a vote of the House of Representatives in chamber session.”

Brockman’s attorney, Alec Carpenter, as well as Reives and Hall have been reached for comment. Reives and Hall have been specifically asked about the possibility of an expulsion.

The last time a representative was expelled was in 2008, when Rep. Thomas Wright (D-District 18) was expelled for campaign finance violations. He was subsequently convicted of the charges and sentenced to prison.

According to Michael Bitzer, director of the Center for North Carolina Politics and Public Service and professor at Catawba College, the process to expel Wright took over a year, and “it is ultimately up to the chamber to decide the fate of its own members.”

White expanded, saying the length of time an expulsion takes depends on “many factors,” particularly due process. He pointed to Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure, Sec. 562, which reads, “Adequate notice, formal charges and a public hearing with the right to cross-examine witnesses have been held to be necessary components of procedural due process that must be afforded to a member prior to expulsion.”

Among the allegations is a claim that Brockman was living out of state during the summer, with court documents stating he had been evicted from a High Point apartment complex in May and prosecutors alleging that he lived in Atlanta with the victim before moving into another High Point apartment in August. There’s less clarity on if this violates any existing rules.

“Both the Permanent Rules of the House of Representatives and Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure are silent on this matter,” White said.

Since January, Brockman has missed several votes, which are noted as an “excused absence” on the NCGA website. Brockman has missed 78 votes across 13 days since Jan. 1.

“An excused absence is simply that—a request that a member be absent from the duties of a Representative in the House Chamber. A member granted such leave will have their chamber voting stations locked and will be carried in the Journal and any internet records as having an excused absence,” White said.

In 2024, reports were made that his fellow Democrats and some constituents were unhappy with the amount of time in the House he missed, as well as his siding with Republicans on key votes like veto overrides. Brockman responded that the absences were connected to personal mental health issues, according to the News & Observer at the time.

Community leaders met on Oct. 15 about the next steps. The event was private, so FOX8 was not present for the discussion but did speak to several attendees. When Brockman’s legislative assistant was asked for comment, he declined.

As of Oct. 20, Brockman has not resigned and remains a sitting member of the House despite currently being held in jail. He has not paid the $1,050,000 bond he was given when he appeared in court. Brockman remains on committees, including the Agriculture, Health and Education committees.

Brockman was briefly hospitalized immediately following his arrest, appearing in court from the hospital before being returned to jail.

His current term ends in January 2027, and it is likely if he is not expelled from the House, he will face a challenger during primaries next year, as he did in 2024.

He is due in court again on Nov. 13.

North Carolina Sen. Norm Wesley Sanderson Jr. (R-District 2) was arrested and charged with misdemeanor driving while impired on Oct. 18 after a traffic stop.