Jefferson County employees demand change

On Friday morning, county employees and elected officials assembled to demand reform in the Jefferson County County judge’s office during a news conference. The gathering attempted to raise awareness of a payroll suspension for all county employees implemented by County Judge Gerald Robinson.

As a group of elected officials mounted the courthouse steps to the podium, dozens of county employees lined Main Street and Barraque Street chanting, “We want change.”

The discussion centered on the county judge’s office denying payroll and Yvonne Humphrey’s 47-year employment history. The group in attendance included Jefferson County Quorum Court members Lloyd Franklin Jr., Alfred Carroll, and Reginald Adams, as well as Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr., County Clerk Shawndra Taggart, County Assessor Gloria Tillman, Tax Collector Tony Washington, and former assessor Yvonne Humphrey, who now holds a position in the assessor’s office.

On Thursday, Taggart sent an email to county employees informing them of the processing of payroll for the April 15, 2024, earning period.

She said on April 11, payroll was suspended due to details regarding the cessation of pay for two county employees, neither of whom work for Robinson, because of Robinson’s interpretation of sick time usage.

“Each elected official is responsible for maintaining vacation, comp, and sick time for their employees within their respective departments,” said Taggart in her email. “It has never been the practice of any elected official to notify the County Clerk’s office when their employee is out on sick leave unless the employee is out of sick time and compensation is to be reduced and/or if shared leave is being donated to said employee by other employees.”

In an email response from Robinson, he stated it was solely his decision to suspend payroll for all county employees until, “Ms. Yvonne Humphrey is removed from the April 15th, 2024 payroll claim.”

“She has no accrued sick leave to be paid,” said Robinson in his email. “This can be easily rectified by removing Ms. Humphrey from the payroll. It is my obligation to ensure that the county does not pay an employee for time they legally don’t have. This is a policy violation as well as not lawful.”

Taggart said that despite it not being her responsibility, she felt obligated to retrieve the paperwork from Tillman to verify Humphrey’s time. Taggart acknowledged that this situation had placed her in an uncomfortable position.

“We do have on record and filed the master copy of documentation as to what number of hours of sick leave that she had accumulated and earned,” said Tillman. “She was never paid out or compensated for any of that sick time.”

Tillman said that when Humphrey, the one-time county assessor, transitioned from being an elected official to a regular employee, her accrued sick time should have been carried over as she had earned it. Robinson declined to comment on Tillman’s interpretation of the county’s rules, indicating that his response would be a legal one made through the courts.

Meanwhile, Humphrey, visibly struggling to stand during the press conference, shared her experiences and challenges while serving as the assessor. She cited specific instances where accumulated stress necessitated time off and emphasized the difficulties encountered in securing medical leave.

As a group of county employees stood in the distance to hear the complaints, Taggart assured them that despite the suspension by Robinson, payroll was processed. “It came in a little after 3 so hopeful everything will be done on time,” she said. “It was after the deadline but it was processed.”

Franklin took issue with the judge’s decision to deny Humphrey her sick leave when she transitioned from an elected official to a county employee, citing her dedication and consistent attendance. Additionally, Franklin raised questions regarding the legality of a potential payout to Robinson, who allegedly carried over sick time from one elected position to another. Franklin’s primary concern was whether such a payout would violate state laws and ordinances.

On Thursday, Sheriff Woods issued a statement, which he reiterated on Friday morning, encouraging individuals with legal authority and the necessary resources to investigate the operations of the office of the county judge more closely. “We need relief, and indeed, we needed it yesterday,” said Woods.

Woods said Robinson’s refusal to approve the payroll for the April 15 earnings period directly affected not only the staff of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, W.C. “Dub” Brassell Adult Detention Center and Jack Jones Juvenile Justice Center, which he oversees, but all county employees, many of whom are essential workers and first responders to include 911 dispatchers and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM).

“It is distressing to report that Judge Robinson’s actions appear to be retaliatory and politically motivated,” said Woods. “These actions have already prompted multiple lawsuits, squandering thousands of taxpayer dollars. This unnecessary turmoil has caused significant panic among our dedicated employees, severely disrupted public services across all county offices, and forced my team and myself to spend countless hours addressing concerns from staff about their financial security due to this unexpected non-payment.”

Woods demanded that the state or federal government step in to uphold and enforce the separation of powers within their county’s government.

The group’s grievances against Robinson spanned several months, alleging that he had shown bias in his decisions, disregarded the law, and favored certain individuals.

Judge Robinson has consistently refuted all allegations against him and vowed to take legal action. In interviews with The Commercial, he has portrayed himself as the target of a politically motivated witch hunt. Additionally, he has accused certain members of the Quorum Court of exceeding their authority.

Amidst the escalating tensions in the county, Robinson suggests that the truth will soon come to light. Meanwhile, the dissatisfied employees and elected officials are adamant about seeing a new county judge appointed promptly stating their words are the truth.