Under the Dome
Domestic violence charge dropped after Board of Governors member’s wife refuses to testify
A Wake County prosecutor has dropped a domestic violence charge against UNC Board of Governors member R. Doyle Parrish.
Parrish was arrested at his Raleigh home May 13 and charged with assault on a female. The alleged victim, wife Nancy Parrish, said he slapped and pushed her to the ground at the home, court records said. She reported bruising and abrasions on her leg and foot, according to the documents.
In court papers filed Aug. 26, a prosecutor wrote the victim had refused to testify in the case. The document noted that there was no history of domestic violence and that the Parrishes had completed couples counseling. The court document added: “In state’s belief, victim is a necessary witness if this matter were to be tried.”
Parrish is CEO of Summit Hospitality Group, a firm that manages hotels. He is a political donor who serves on the UNC Board of Governors and the Centennial Authority. At the time of his arrest, a magistrate ordered him jailed on a mandatory domestic violence order for two days.
Parrish took a leave of absence from the UNC Board of Governors and resigned from the search committee looking for a successor to UNC President Tom Ross. That committee is expected to meet Tuesday in Charlotte.
It was unclear Monday whether Parrish had returned to service on the UNC board. He could not be reached for comment.
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