One week after an all-white police department in North Carolina resigned, all of whom cited a “hostile” work environment allegedly created by the town’s recently hired Black, female manager, residents are alleging that the mass exodus was racially motivated.
“They don’t want to be led by anybody Black; that’s Kenly. They’re always harassing Black people. It’s racial,” said long-time resident Cynthia Kirby of Kenly, North Carolina, in an interview with the News & Observer.
Ms Kirby was speaking with the local news outlet ahead of Friday’s emergency meeting held by the town council to discuss how the jurisdiction would respond to the former police chief of the Kenly Police Department, five officers, the town clerk, and the utilities clerk all submitting their two-week notice last Wednesday afternoon, CBS 17 first reported.
The full-time employees of the Kenly force all cited in their departure notices that they could no longer perform their duties because of the work environment created by the town’s manager, Justine Jones, who began working in her current position on 2 June.
“I hope this doesn’t end in her quitting because that’s not right. You can’t judge anybody because they make you do your job,” added Ms Kirby.
In former police chief Josh Gibson’s resignation letter, which was also shared in a public Facebook post on Wednesday evening, the Kenly officer of 21 years said he could no longer continue with his work because of the environment created by the town manager, who had been appointed to the position for just a little over a month when he submitted his resignation.
“The new manager has created an environment I do not feel we can perform our duties and services to the community,” the post read. “I do not know what is next for me. I am letting the lord lead the way. I have loved this community.. it has become family and one of my greatest honors to serve.. God bless you all in Kenly.”
Ahead of Friday’s emergency meeting for the small town of 2,000 residents, another Kenly resident, Denise Bennett, defended the newly appointed town manager, who was selected in May by the town council after they conducted a nationwide search of candidates that yielded 30 finalists.
“One of my questions is, what happened between May and July?” asked Ms Bennet, who told the News & Observer she didn’t believe the town manager had had enough time to foster a new relationship with Kenly residents or staff. “It takes time when you get a new boss … We just want to make sure that the process is fair, and this ultimatum of her versus him as a police chief is not a good process.”
WRAL obtained the resignation letters of some of the employees who submitted their notice to the town, many of whom echoed the concerns that were picked up in Mr Gibson’s public Facebook post. “I have enjoyed my time working at the Kenly Police Department and fully intended to remain employed with the town,” wrote Darren Pate, one of the officers who submitted their notice this week, in a letter reported by WRAL. “But unfortunately decisions are being made which make me question what the future will hold for all town employees.”
In May 2016, The Post and Courier reported that Ms Jones, a Black woman, had previously sued her employer – Richland County, South Carolina – alleging, in part, that she’d been fired from her position for being a whistle-blower about problems within the county’s transportation penny tax program.
Ms Jones, who was employed as a manager of research and an assistant director with the county, alleged in the lawsuit that she faced gender, racial, and disability discrimination after she was terminated. The suit was initially filed in state court and then moved to US District Court before being voluntarily dismissed. Court records never disclosed why the case was dismissed, according to WRAL.
Upon accepting the position with the North Carolina town’s council, Ms Jones specifically referenced the town’s diversity as one reason she was excited to step into this new role after having held positions in local government in South Carolina, Minnesota and Virginia (Kenly is 36 per cent Black, 20 per cent Hispanic and 36 per cent non-Hispanic white).
“I am honored that the Council has entrusted me with the responsibility of being Kenly’s next manager,” Ms Jones wrote in a statement following the appointment. “Kenly’s diversity and dynamic potential offers intriguing challenges and a promising future of growth and prosperity that I am excited to become a part of.”
The Independent reached out to Ms Jones and the town of Kenly for comment regarding the recent resignations but did not hear back immediately.
Kenly Mayor Herbert Hales said that an additional meeting would be held this coming week, with this session open to the public.
In the interim, the Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell told The News & Observer in an interview last week that his office will make sure that the residents of Kenly are protected, noting that this is the first time that his office has had to contend with an entire police department submitting their two-week notices simultaneously.
“The Board of [County] Commissioners and I both agree that the number one priority of the government is public safety,” Sheriff Bizzell said. “We are going to be there for the people of Kenly if and when they need law enforcement.”
