PDF: Officer complaint
CLEVELAND, Tenn. – A Bradley County deputy has filed a complaint claiming he was harassed because of politics while working a case at the county mayor’s office.
Mayor D. Gary Davis on Friday said he understood the Feb. 18 exchange between Deputy Nathan Headrick and Finance Department member Rená Samples to be normal office banter.
And in a letter to Sheriff Tim Gobble, Mr. Davis also suggested that Deputy Headrick might have a grudge against Mrs. Samples over a past payroll issue.
Mr. Davis’ mayoral campaign rival, Lisa Stanbery, whose campaign employee told the Chattanooga Times Free Press of the complaint last week, said Friday that everyone involved should act professionally.
The complaint was filed the same day as the alleged harassment, which Deputy Headrick said took place in a reception area outside Mr. Davis’ office.
The complaint stated that he had been sent to the office to take a report about employees receiving harassing phone calls. Deputy Headrick stated that Mrs. Samples, who was in the room, called him a “traitor” because his photo was posted on “the competition’s” Web site.
He said he viewed her words as “unwarranted workplace harassment, defamation of my character and as a personal attack on my character.”
On Feb. 22, Mrs. Samples wrote a letter of apology to Deputy Headrick, stating that “it was never my intention to harass you for any political support that you provide to any candidate or for any particular issue.”
The same day, Mr. Davis wrote to Sheriff Gobble stating that “all of the staff present at the incident insist that Mrs. Samples and others were joking with Officer Headrick.”
The letter mentioned a 2009 incident in which the deputy’s paycheck was debited to repay a previous overpayment. Mr. Davis stated that Deputy Headrick was “very angry” with Mrs. Samples over the issue.
Mr. Davis said Friday he could not comment on a personnel matter beyond what was in his letter.
A Feb. 23 letter from County Attorney Joe Byrd to Sheriff Gobble acknowledges a fax from the sheriff on Feb. 19 regarding a public records request from Michelle Michaud for a copy of the grievance. Ms. Michaud works for Mrs. Stanbery’s mayoral campaign.
Sheriff Gobble also wrote a memo to Deputy Headrick’s file dated Feb. 24, stating that he reviewed the complaint on Feb. 19.
He said he received the open records request the same day and forwarded both to Mr. Byrd.
On Friday, Deputy Headrick said he has accepted Mrs. Samples’ apology “in the best interest of the county,” although he still thinks it was harassment.
“In the very least, it was in very poor taste,” he said.
Deputy Headrick said he is a candidate himself, running in a nonpartisan race for the 6th District seat on the Bradley County Board of Education.