COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hours after a motion to provide copies of unredacted texts between herself and former Richland County Administrator Gerald Seals, Council member Dahli Myers defended the $1 million deal paid to Seals after council fired him in April 2018.
The texts between Myers and Seals are of interest because they show that, while Council was in executive session discussing a possible deal for Seals, Myers was texting him and advising him of what was going on and the details of the deal.
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Myers defends the deal without addressing the texts, stating that "Had he sued the County, Seals would have gotten significantly more than his negotiated settlement in a court of law."
And, "At all times, I was working to protect Richland County and its taxpayers. I still am."
The lawsuit brought by William Coggins seeks to void the deal that paid Seals an $800,000 buyout on top of a year’s salary of $184,000, six months of health insurance in exchange for promising not to sue Richland County Council or individual council members The suit says that Myers should have recused herself from voting for the deal and that "Myers' advocacy for Seals is arguably both a violation of Richland County's Code of Ethics and a clear conflict of interest that she never disclosed even as she voted to approve the payment."
The full statement from Myers:
"I welcome the opportunity to be deposed and to explain why six of my colleagues conspired and voted to fire a perfectly good administrator. I am positive that the facts and circumstances surrounding Seals’ firing will demonstrate that I fought for the integrity and best interests of Richland County taxpayers.
Without a doubt, Richland County taxpayers fared far better, because Gerald Seals accepted a settlement instead of going to court. Had he sued the County, Seals would have gotten significantly more than his negotiated settlement in a court of law. When my colleagues attempted to illegally fire him, he had credible and persuasive allegations of racial discrimination, hostile work environment, and other federal claims that would have been persuasive, problematic to defend, and more costly for Richland County. Those claims did not involve any of my actions as his supervisor.
Even though Seals was publicly humiliated and illegally fired, he communicated a steadfast commitment to his home town, Richland County. I believed his returning to work would have been the best outcome for all parties. I suggested this to Seals and my colleagues. It would have been cheaper and we would have had a good Administrator leading the the County for the last 18 months, while we undertook a proper search and respectful separation.
In that light, I encouraged him to accept a much smaller settlement than he was demanding and, if possible, return to work. That result would have left the County much better off financially, better off in terms of employee morale, and better off in terms of governing a $1billion “business.”
Unfortunately, the Council did not take that path. Eighteen months later, we have learned the hard lesson that comes from illegally firing a good employee for bad cause. At all times, I was working to protect Richland County and its taxpayers. I still am.
Perhaps those who are feeding Mr. Coggins nonsense have something to hide. I do not. I’m proud of my defense of this County, its citizens’ integrity, and its employees’ right to fairness in the workplace and fair process upon separation. Those are the values I was fighting for then and am fighting for now. Any suggestion to the contrary is false."