Two Employees Removed By Spalding County

Spalding County has taken swift and decisive action following criminal and internal investigations involving allegations of stalking, sexual harassment, and employee misconduct.

The matter began when a county employee reported to the County Manager that a tracking device had been placed on her personal vehicle. Upon receiving the information, the County Manager immediately contacted the Spalding County Sheriff's Office and requested assistance. The Sheriff's Office promptly opened a criminal investigation to determine the facts surrounding the allegation.

As investigators began pursuing leads and gathering evidence in the criminal investigation, the employee informed investigators that she had also been subjected to ongoing sexual harassment by her immediate supervisor and a co-worker.

Sheriff Darrell Dix said the seriousness of the allegations required a thorough and independent approach.

"As soon as my Criminal Investigators notified me of the sexual harassment allegation, I notified Dr. Ledbetter," said Sheriff Dix. "His request was that my investigators pursue the parties responsible no matter who they were or how far it went. By law, criminal and internal investigations cannot be mixed, so I opened a separate internal investigation on the sexual harassment allegation and assigned a second set of investigators to work independently from the criminal investigators."

County Manager Dr. Steve Ledbetter emphasized the importance of collaboration while maintaining the integrity of both investigations.

"Our priority is to work closely together to ensure the employee's safety, protect the integrity of the investigative process, and determine the appropriate course of action in both criminal and internal investigations," said Dr. Ledbetter.

As the investigations progressed, investigators interviewed multiple individuals and gathered substantial evidence related to the allegations.

Sheriff Dix stated that investigators determined the allegations of sexual harassment were substantiated.

"When my investigators notified me that the allegations were true, I reported the findings to Dr. Ledbetter since the employees involved did not work for the Spalding County Sheriff's Office," Sheriff Dix said. "Everyone we have interviewed has been very open and cooperative. The only bump we've had so far is when the victim was contacted by an investigator from the State Court Solicitor's Office who is the wife of one of the accused sexual harassers. Regardless of circumstance, you don't call the victim of stalking and sexual harassment, identify yourself as the wife, identify your role as an investigator, infer your authority to the victim by what you say about using investigative means to find things out, and start questioning the victim about what she reported. The only questioning should be directed to her husband about the sexual harassment and other things he admitted to. That occurrence has been turned over to the Interim State Court Solicitor since it involves one of her employees."

Following the conclusion of the internal investigation, Spalding County acted immediately.

"Based on statements made to investigators by the accused employees during the internal investigation and evidence that was uncovered, Spalding County has moved immediately to remove two individuals who were responsible for misconduct," said Dr. Ledbetter.

Dr. Ledbetter said the County's response demonstrates its unwavering commitment to protecting employees and maintaining a workplace built on respect, accountability, and professionalism.

"The County's immediate response reflects its unwavering commitment to protecting employees and holding wrongdoers accountable. Spalding County has zero tolerance for harassment, intimidation, retaliation, or any abuse of authority in the workplace. Let there be no misunderstanding: employees who engage in this type of conduct have no place in our organization. The moment these allegations were brought forward, we acted. We will continue to act swiftly, firmly, and decisively whenever employee safety and well-being are threatened. Every employee deserves a workplace built on respect and professionalism, and we will do whatever is necessary to protect that standard."

County officials are encouraging any current or former employee who may have experienced, witnessed, or possess information regarding harassment, intimidation, retaliation, or other inappropriate workplace conduct to come forward. Employees may report concerns through their supervisor, department head, Human Resources, or directly to the County Manager's Office.

Spalding County leadership wants employees to know that they will be heard, their concerns will be taken seriously, and reports of misconduct will be reviewed promptly. Creating a safe