Former fire chief’s suit against county settled for $12,500

A lawsuit brought in federal court in 2007 by a former Darlington County Fire District chief against Darlington County has been settled out of court for a sum of $12,500.

The State Budget and Control Board confirmed the amount of the settlement in the suit brought by former Chief Robert R. Watkins.

The parties reached the settlement in June, according to J. Lewis Cromer, the attorney who represented Watkins.

Terms of the settlement are confidential, and Cromer said he could not discuss them.

County Administrator Phyllis Griffitts, who was originally named as a defendant in the suit, was dismissed as a defendant prior to the settlement.

A suit against three other defendants, Brandon Wilson and Jeff Yarborough, both of Chesterfield County, and Lenora Powe, also of Chesterfield County and at the time a member of Chesterfield County Council, remains pending in state court, Cromer said. Watkins’ suit against the county stemmed from his firing in June 2007 by Griffitts over the sale of two Darlington County fire trucks to Cash Volunteer Fire Department in Chesterfield County.

Griffitts said she fired Watkins because he failed to follow her instructions.
The suit alleged that the defendants circulated rumors aimed at discrediting Watkins, thereby damaging his reputation.

The complaint alleged that Griffitts fired Watkins to make him a scapegoat for the ensuing controversy and deflect criticism over the sale of the trucks away from her. The suit claimed a violation of Watkins’ First Amendment rights, defamation of character and civil conspiracy against Watkins.