SCDEW finds that Latta, SC Sheriff Crystal Moore was fired without cause.
SCDEW finds Moore was fired without cause
LATTA, S.C. — Monday was a good day for Latta Police Chief Crystal Moore.
Not only did she return to work after two and a half months of uncertainty, but she also learned the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce approved her appeal, finding she was discharged without cause connected to her employment and meaning she is eligible for back payment of benefits.
“I feel like another wrong has been made right,” Moore said during an interview in her office Tuesday. “What happened was unfair. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, and I’ve always prided myself on doing what was right and fair. But this lets me know it’s all been worth it. It restores your faith.” Latta Mayor Earl Bullard fired Moore on April 15 after she refused to sign seven reprimands without speaking to an attorney first.
The reprimands alleged, among other things, that Moore broke a recently adopted town policy that prohibited town employees from speaking to media outlets about public situations or controversy, that she questioned the mayor’s authority, that she failed to maintain order at three town council meetings and that she failed to report to Bullard over a jurisdictional issue with a Dillon County deputy. Soon after Moore was fired, a recorded telephone conversation emerged during which Bullard made it clear he did not approve of Moore’s lifestyle. Moore is gay.
Moore filed a grievance with the town, but a grievance committee made up of town employees was unable to come to a decision on whether the reprimands were valid. The only conclusion was that Moore was not fired because she was gay, a matter that wasn’t even addressed in her grievance.
But after a four-hour hearing on the matter during which each side presented three witnesses, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce concluded Moore was not at fault for her firing.
“The claimant is not responsible for her separation,” administrative hearing officer Timothy J. Plunkett wrote. “The record establishes that the claimant’s conduct was not insubordinate and was carried out in accordance with her obligations as a law enforcement official. The seven disciplinary write-ups were based on false accusations and were designed to provoke a confrontation with the claimant. In this context, it was not unreasonable for the claimant to request the opportunity to consult with an attorney before answering the employer’s allegations. Therefore, the claimant was not discharged for misconduct connected with her employment.”
Moore said she hopes the department’s findings will allow her to collect backpay and clear her performance record with the town, which was spotless before Bullard’s seven reprimands.
The Morning News has made repeated attempts to talk with Bullard about the situation, but he has declined comment.
http://www.scnow.com/news/article_13a4c868-017b-11e4-98bc-0017a43b2370.html
Do Jeebus! I know Arthur is going to hit us. A state agency did something right.
Good for them!
In addition, the Latta City Council requested that the SC Law Enforcement Division(SLED) investigate City Hall. Looking at you Bullard. Apparently there have been some shenanigans of some kind going on there. The information is vague at this point.
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