When Brooks Willis and Mayor Cannon struck.

By MIKE GISICK
The Beaufort Gazette

White insisted Thursday he was told to fire Keefner.

"They never said anything about resignation," he said. "I'm not going to go and fire a man on my own knowing I'm only in charge for two weeks."

Within six weeks of that meeting, White had been forced to submit his own resignation after he was told his position had been cut from the budget.

"That's all they told me: restructuring," White said Thursday. "Now they're saying it's because of Keefner. All I did was what I was told to do."

By MIKE GISICK
The Beaufort Gazette

HARDEEVILLE -- Faced with widening criticism over the ouster of the city treasurer and several senior police officers, City Manager Shane Haynes offered his first public defense of those moves this weekend, more than three months after the shake-up began.

Haynes said he moved to revamp the police department beginning in May after he became convinced that internal "disharmony" was undermining the department's performance and as he became increasingly disturbed by the performance of three senior officers.

Those concerns came to a head, he said, during police Chief James Hubbard's two-week leave during the first half of May.

"We had a significant problem with divisions emerging within the department," Haynes said. "It was obvious to the administration that our mid-level management ... had not demonstrated that it could perform in the absence of the chief."

Haynes' account of events in May and June, parts of which were disputed by several of the former officers, came in the wake of sharp attacks on Haynes' handling of the situation and two new threats of litigation.

The former treasurer and two officers have filed civil rights complaints claiming they were forced from their jobs because they are black.

Late last week, former Staff Sgt. Rick Keefner, who is white, said it has become his "No. 1 priority" to pursue legal action against the city.

Friday, a top official with a group that provides legal aid to police officers leveled harsh criticism at Haynes and said his organization likely would decide early this week whether to pursue legal action against the city.

Richard Banks, an operational director with the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, said veteran officers cannot easily be replaced and deserved better than seeing their jobs slashed in a back room.

"I find it rather disturbing that a city manager would conduct himself in such an unprofessional manner," Banks said. "He has exposed taxpayers to serious liability. I really don't know what he's thinking."

In all, the city treasurer and five police officers have either been fired or forced to resign since May. The city has at times appeared to shift its explanation for those moves -- first calling them a restructuring effort and then announcing staff had uncovered "possible procedural and other irregularities" involving former employees -- while offering virtually no details.

About 50 mostly black residents picketed City Hall last month demanding answers. The city has gone to court seeking to block The Beaufort Gazette from viewing the former employees' personnel records.

Differing Accounts

The turmoil began May 1, when city officials asked Chief Hubbard to take two-weeks leave for what Haynes and Mayor Rodney Cannon later described as a badly needed vacation.

The same day, Capt. Jerome White, who had been placed in command of the department, met with Haynes and Deputy City Manager Kevin Griffin at City Hall, White said Thursday.

The first order of business, White said, was Keefner.

"(Haynes) said, 'Keefner's got to be fired today,'" White said. "He said, 'I'd do it myself, but I'd prefer if you did it.'"

Saturday, Haynes said that by May he had determined that Keefner -- a 16-year veteran of Hardeeville police -- had become a divisive force in the department.

"Officer Keefner was one of several officers whose attitudes and interactions within the department had grown increasingly negative," Haynes said.

But Haynes said he instructed White to request Keefner's resignation and fire him only if Keefner refused to step down. The distinction is significant because officers who are fired can have their police certifications revoked, making it tough for them to find another law enforcement job in South Carolina.

White insisted Thursday he was told to fire Keefner.

"They never said anything about resignation," he said. "I'm not going to go and fire a man on my own knowing I'm only in charge for two weeks."

Within six weeks of that meeting, White had been forced to submit his own resignation after he was told his position had been cut from the budget.

"That's all they told me: restructuring," White said Thursday. "Now they're saying it's because of Keefner. All I did was what I was told to do."

Haynes said Saturday that White's "unfortunate mishandling" of Keefner's termination was only one factor in the decision to let the 19-year veteran go.

"It resulted from much the same reason that officer Keefner was asked to resign -- personality conflicts, failure to follow directives and complete assigned tasks, divisive attitude and actions and erosion in the commitment to team above self," Haynes said.

Ditto for Lt. Eric Washington, who submitted his resignation in mid-May after he was given the choice of stepping down or being fired, Haynes said.

Haynes said the decision to ask for White's and Washington's resignations was made by Hubbard. But Haynes said he supported it.

Hubbard has declined repeated requests for an interview in recent months.

Keefner said last week that he believed Hubbard had lost control of personnel decision-making.

"Shane's trying to backpedal from it now, but he's the one calling the shots," Keefner said. "I think he just used the captain as a pawn to do his dirty work."

Officer Cornelius Shiflett, who was forced to resign July 5 after a run-in with Cannon and City Councilor Brooks Willis over fireworks enforcement, said at the time he also believed Hubbard had lost control of personnel decisions.

Shiflett, Hardeeville's 2005 officer of the year, now works for the Jasper County Sheriff's Office, Chief Deputy Roy Hughes said. So does Mike Benton, a former Hardeeville officer who resigned last month after he was transferred to the recreation department.

Banks, who left Hardeeville last week with harsh words, said residents need to consider that it takes years for an officer to learn their job and their community.

"This incompetent is just throwing these people overboard like they mean nothing," he said of Haynes. "These men have families."

Haynes said he was well aware of that.

"I have spent many sleepless nights concerned for them and their well-being, regardless of what some may think of me," he said.

But with tens-of-thousands of new residents expected to arrive here during the next decade, Haynes said the police department needed to be overhauled now. He said the city had contracted with a firm called Police Management Consulting to come up with a restructuring plan, which had been promised in July but never arrived. The city has advertised to hire an assistant police chief.

"I don't regret the tough decision we have made," Haynes said.

And while Haynes has come under increasing fire from outside city government, he still apparently enjoys the support of the City Council, which made him one of the best-paid city managers in the state under the city's new budget.

About that treasurer

Questions still linger over the removal of Santesia Henderson, the city's former treasurer and human resources director.

Keefner said he believed that Henderson might have played some role in his dismissal. He said he had clashed with her over a worker's compensation claim resulting from his fall down a flight of stairs in December 2005. And Keefner said it was Washington -- who is married to Henderson -- who marked his separation paperwork with the words "do not rehire -- contact human resources."

"For a long time I would have said she was the one running City Hall," Keefner said of the former treasurer.

Officials said last month that an auditor would be brought in to investigate the "possible irregularities" uncovered since Henderson's departure.

Haynes, who had said no signs of impropriety had emerged after Henderson left, said the investigation would include finances and personnel decisions.

"We're going to look at everything," he said.

Henderson said she'd received a letter from the city stating she was asked to resign because she became upset over her husband's removal -- an explanation she called ridiculous.

"It's just one lie after another," she said. "Enough is enough."

Henderson, Washington and White all have filed civil rights complaints with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, their lawyer, Susan Broch, has said.

Part of Henderson's claim is that she was retaliated against because she is married to Washington, Broch said.

Keefner, meanwhile, has been allowed to resign, Haynes said. Haynes said Keefner's termination paperwork was never submitted to the state.

Keefner said he submitted a letter of resignation to Hubbard shortly after the chief returned from leave and had since received a recommendation from Hubbard. But Keefner said he regretted the decision to resign.

"I resigned on what I now consider to be ill advice," he said. "I recant my resignation."

Keefner said he stopped by City Hall Thursday evening planning to attend the city council meeting but felt sick and didn't go inside.

"It's embarrassing, having everybody know that you got fired," he said. "I ran into a guy yesterday, and I know I must have arrested his father at least seven times."