Ousted Dillon County administrator's job hinges on hearing outcome

DARLINGTON — Dillon County Council and ousted county administrator Charles Curry have agreed to let the final decision on Curry’s employment be made at a public hearing at 6 p.m. July 27 at the Dillon County Courthouse.

A final vote on the matter will be taken on the matter no later than 10 p.m. that day. The result of the vote will be binding immediately.

This decision was made after an emergency hearing Monday afternoon at the Darlington County Courthouse, after Curry’s attorney, Janet Altman Byrd, took legal action against Council.

A state statute requires a public hearing be held before Curry’s June 16 termination from the post can be final.

Curry will remain in place as the county’s administrator until then.

After the July 27 hearing, all pending litigation will be dismissed without prejudice. Both Council and Curry are entering into the agreement as a final settlement of all issues pending in this matter.

Greenville attorney Carl Muller, who is representing council in the termination matter, told Curry in a letter Tuesday that Council had suspended him from his duties as administrator and said he wasn’t allowed in his office.

Curry told Muller in a rebuttal letter that neither he nor council had the authority to suspend him. Curry went on to report to work the next day just before 8:30 a.m. Muller was hired by the four county council members who voted to oust Curry from the county administrator’s post.

Curry’s suspension is no longer in effect.

Dillon County Council held a special meeting Friday afternoon to clarify and announce the date of the public hearing for Curry. They’d decided during that meeting the hearing would be Wednesday, but on Monday changed that date to July 27. Council will ratify the change during its next meeting Wednesday.

On June 16, council members voted 4-3 to terminate Curry’s contract after he’d been on the job three months.

In a letter delivered to Curry about three days after his termination, council members said they fired Curry because he showed a “serious lack of judgement, bordering on ethical impropriety” during an U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation directly related to his position and the circumstances surrounding his appointment.

Council members also wrote that Curry was “particularly slow and less than forthcoming in bringing the case to the attention of council.”

The EEOC and the S.C. Human Affairs Commission are investigating a case of possible discrimination concerning the selection process for Dillon County administrator.

A discrimination compliant was filed in March with both agencies by Dillon attorney Glenn Manning, who applied for the position of Dillon County administrator after it was vacated by Clay Young in 2008.

Manning said the fact Curry applied for the position after he negotiated the county administrator’s contract is a conflict of interest.

Manning maintains he didn’t get the position because of his race and council selected Curry because he’s white.

Dillon County Council Chairman Harold Moody wouldn’t comment on the EEOC investigation, but said he accompanied Curry to the May 21 EEOC meeting mentioned in council’s letter to Curry.

The case remains under investigation by both agencies.

Moody said after Friday’s meeting he’s uncertain whether Muller is going to be paid by council for his legal guidance. If the majority of Council votes to pay Muller, Moody said he surmises it will come out of the county’s general fund.