Shelby and County government is now like a lawyer “merry-go-round.” Neither Shelby nor the County wanted to follow Attorney Bob Yelton’s advice to do the right thing to stay out of trouble, so they both fired Yelton. The County hires Tim Moore and Andrea Leslie-Fite to get them out of the trouble that they made for themselves. Andrea Leslie -Fite soon quits the County and the goes to Charlotte. The County hires Elliott Engstrom. Shelby hires Martha Thompson. Elliott Engstrom leaves the County and goes somewhere else. Then the County hires Martha Thompson and Shelby hires Andrea Leslie-Fite.
All the while lawsuits whirl around Shelby and the County. Willie Green sues the City of Shelby and others for discrimination and defamation in State and Federal Courts. Sara Willis sues all the County Commissioners, County Manager Brian Epley, H=Health Department Director Dorothea Wyant and Health Department employee Sam Lockridge In Federal Court for Sexual Harassment, etc. (A case that I might testify in.) Rev. Dante Murphy has recently sued Cleveland County, the DSS and DSS Director Katie Swanson in Federal Court for Employment Discrimination and retaliation.
And, last but not least (that I know of) Nivilla Rockee Campbell, an African-American female, has sued the City of Shelby in Federal Court for Employment Discrimination (Title VII) with elements of sexual harassment and retaliation. Ms. Campbell, a former City of Shelby employee in the natural gas department alleges Racial Slurs and Workplace hostility as follows:
From Federal Court Case No. Case 3:20-cv-00629-FDW-DCK
“Gas Supervisor (Scott Huffsteller) made numerous racial slurs and workplace hostility. I reported it to my supervisor, and she opened an investigation. To my understanding there was nothing done. Then, I was told to ‘get over it. We all have a job to do.’”
I would estimate that Cleveland County and Shelby Taxpayers have spent at least $350,000 in lawyer bills for cases that could have been totally avoided if County and Shelby governments had treated people fairly and in accordance with the law to begin with. Instead, Cleveland County and Shelby Governments refuse to admit that they have done anything wrong. And, if they are proven wrong and major cash awards are ordered by State and Federal Juries, County and Shelby taxpayers will be on the hook for those Million$ too??
Since the fact remains that the People of Shelby and Cleveland County voted to put their governmental leaders in office to begin with, the fact that the people have to pay for their leaderships’ corruption and bad behavior is totally reasonable.
Pay, baby Pay!!! Until YOU finally learn YOUR lesson!!! Until then, just “get over it.”
