Highway Patrol says no one cheated on exam, moves ahead with promotions

The State Highway Patrol said Tuesday that it is moving ahead with its annual promotions after determining that no one cheated during a June test.

Posted 8:25 p.m. Sep 24, 2019 — Updated 8:59 p.m. Sep 24, 2019

RALEIGH, N.C. — The State Highway Patrol said Tuesday that it is moving ahead with its annual promotions after determining that no one cheated during a June test.

Patrol commander Col. Glenn McNeill put promotions on hold on June 28, saying allegations of cheating needed to be investigated.

Unber Ahmad, a North Carolina State University graduate assistant who helped administer the promotions test, was later dismissed. Ahmad also was terminated from the Highway Patrol internship program.

Sources told WRAL Investigates that at least five troopers – three from the patrol's training center and two others based in Wake County – were transferred in July because of the investigation.

An internal investigation determined that confidentiality provisions were breached when promotion scores and rankings were improperly released before the promotion list was published, McNeill said Tuesday.

"However, there is no evidence the integrity of the testing process itself was compromised," he said in a statement.

No one was found to have disclosed or received test questions or answers or cheated on the exam, he said.

A separate investigation by N.C. State concluded that, while the promotion list was prematurely disclosed, the list was still valid, McNeill said.

"All allegations of impropriety are taken seriously and appropriately addressed," he said. "We are committed to having a strong process and will continue reviewing best practices as we move forward."

The promotion process has since been shifted to the patrol's Professional Standards Section.

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