In early August, 2025, grant funding for the non-profit organization Only Hope WNC was suspended after its founder and Chief Operating Officer, Michael Lee Absher, was charged with multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and statutory sexual offense with a child.
According to its website, Only Hope provides short-term emergency shelter for students and their families, as well as operating a food pantry and offering assistance funds.
News Outlets report 35 year old Absher was arrested on July 31, 2025 under a $300,000 bond. A press rerelease issued Monday, August 18, 2025, by the non-profits board of directors said Absher is no longer affiliated with Only Hope WNC. He remains in custody at the Henderson County Detention Center.
Absher is a former Henderson County Public School Board Member. He's expected to be back in court in September.