ROCKINGHAM — Following a 90-day suspension, Jamie Gathings can rejoin the Richmond County Board of Commissioners — sort of.
A majority of the board voted — at the conclusion of a nearly three-hour meeting at the Richmond County Airport — that Gathings could join monthly meetings remotely and cast a vote in the event of a tie.
Gathings, who has also been banned from county buildings since early February, will now be allowed to enter to conduct personal business.
Monday’s meeting saw the commissioners, lawyers and other county personnel in one of the airport’s conference rooms, while dozens of spectators and media watched from the other on a screen.
At times it was hard to hear and understand what was going on — between the sound quality of the speaker and reaction from the spectators and occasional distractions from a remote participant — attorney Mary Craven Adams, a litigation attorney representing the county — who was observed eating, drinking and apparently taking medication during the meeting.
Just two months into his first term after being elected to the board, Gathings was suspended pending an investigation into allegations of harassment reportedly made by county employees, as well as complaints made by fellow Commissioners Jason Gainey and Justin Dawkins.
Gainey also has a pending defamation lawsuit against Gathings regarding comments made by Gathings that Commissioner Andy Grooms bought Gainey’s support for a board leadership position by recommending the doubling of opioid funds for Sandhills Best Care, which is owned by Gainey’s wife.
Gathings denies all claims of harassing or threatening county employees, saying there were no hostile intentions on his part. Unlike most of the other commissioners who have full-time jobs, Gathings said that he has plenty of time to sit down with employees and bring back information to the board.
“I don’t think Jamie really knew what the role of a commissioner was,” Commissioner Jeff Smart said in defense of Gathings. “Whether you intimidate someone by your nature…you can’t go back and undo that.”
Smart went on to say that Gathings may be “passionate” and “outspoken” but hasn’t broken any laws that he’s aware of. The former chairman conceded that it’s best to handle things in a more professional manner, but said that after several conversions, he thought Gathings was ready to fulfill his elected role.
The former chairman said the county had more important issues, including the opioid epidemic and economic development — “not this kind of bullcrap.”
Mistakes were made, Smart said, but the board needs to move forward. Smart added that he'd like to see all the lawsuits dropped and Gathings should apologize.
Onlookers in the other room applauded Smart’s sentiments.
Gathings, through one of his attorneys, offered a settlement in which he would drop his claims and issue apologies if:
Gainey files to dismiss his suit;
All parties enter an agreement — with non-disclosure terms — to refrain from making defamatory and slanderous comments regarding board members and county employees;
The board agrees to refrain from initiating legal action, including an Amotion proceeding; and
Gathings attorney fees are paid for pursuing his claims of open meetings law violations.
Gainey said he was not willing to drop his lawsuit.
“I just want us to get along,” said Commissioner Robin Roberts, who added that “stirring the pot and watching the shit show …that’s what bothers me. … All the negativity and the name-calling …needs to stop.”
Chairman Dr. Rick Watkins brought up Gathings’ reported texts to Roberts — where, allegedly citing Commissioner Andy Grooms, called her the “town drunk” and told her to “snort you another line of Coke” — and said he was concerned about a pattern of negative encounters with women.
Gathings said the comments had nothing to do with Roberts’ gender, he’d say the same to anyone.
Gainey retorted that that’s the issue — that Gathings’ comments “go off the rail.”
Gathings contends that the board had no authority to suspend him, and noted that no actions were taken against:
Roberts, for an incident that involved allegations of her caught on camera presumably urinating on a motorcycle;
Grooms for commenting “This is sick” in a post regarding a transgender high school student; or
Dawkins for saying “bullshit” during a public meeting when he wasn’t allowed to vote remotely.
Watkins said the board has an obligation to county employees to protect them from a hostile work environment.
“If we don’t do anything, we put ourselves in jeopardy” for being complicit in a hostile work environment, the chairman said.
Gathings said he’s already been punished with the 90-day suspension and building ban.
With the exception of Gathings and Smart, the board approved an amotion hearing, where those who filed complaints will have to testify under oath in a quasi-judicial proceeding, with county attorney Michael Newman selecting a hearing officer, who will act as a judge, and the commissioners — sans Gathings — serving as the jury.
Gathings pointed out that he has issues with most of the board members and only two would be impartial.
Smart said that people who elected Gathings are the only ones who can remove him — which garnered another applause.
Gathings said he wouldn’t give up and would continue to fight.
“You want to waste the taxpayer dollars, go for it.”
