She accused Richland County leaders of “hostile” treatment and for not paying her fairly because she was black and had a disability, court docs show. The release did not mention, however, how she had sued a previous employer in neighboring South Carolina for racial discrimination after she was fired in March 2015, according to WRAL. She had started on June 2 after “a nationwide search,” according to a statement celebrating the hiring of a manager hailed for having “worked in progressively responsible positions” in several states. Jones declined to discuss the drastic move, telling WRAL she was “not at liberty to talk because of a personnel matter.” Kenly lost its entire police department in one day. The town called a closed emergency meeting for Friday night. However, the exiting police chief told WRAL he would consider staying if Jones was dismissed. Neither the post nor his letter spelled out specific grievances the officers had against Jones. “However, due to the hostile work environment in the Town of Kenly, I do not believe progress is possible,” he told Jones, without identifying her as the source of his complaint as he had done on social media. Noting that he was “the longest running chief” in the area, he said he felt his force had recently “made substantial progress” in dealing with unspecified “ups and downs.” Kenly Police Chief Josh Gibson posted about how he “put in my 2 weeks notice along with the whole police dept.” over the “hostile work environment.” Facebook/Josh Gibson He made it official with a formal letter of resignation to Jones herself, according to a copy obtained by WRAL.
“The new manager has created an environment I do not feel we can perform our duties and services to the community,” he wrote of Justine Jones, who took up the position early last month. “I have put in my 2 weeks notice along with the whole police dept.,” he wrote of the force he has served with for 21 years. Kenly Police Chief Josh Gibson made the shocking announcement in a Facebook post on Thursday, saying the assistant town manager and a key clerk had joined him and his five officers in quitting in protest. An entire North Carolina police force has quit in protest at the town’s newly hired “progressively responsible” town manager - who the police chief said created a “hostile work environment.”