Racial Discrimination Complaints Claim Gordon Mayor Threatened to Replace White Employees with Black Employees

GORDON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The four federal racial discrimination complaints filed against the new Gordon mayor claim she said there are “not enough African Americans in the government.”

41NBC got copies of the complaints filed by Gordon Police Chief Mike Hall, City Clerk Towana Brown, Deputy Clerk Heather Hawver, and Water Superintendent Melvin Lawrence.

According to Hall’s complaint, Mayor Mary Whipple-Lue asked the black dispatcher how to improve the police department, but did not seek input from any of the white dispatchers. In the complaint filed on January 24, he also claims the mayor’s office hired the black officer to work at a city council meeting, but did not contact any of the white police officers.

Brown’s complaint filed on January 24 states Whipple-Lue “threatened to replace me with an African American employee.” Brown claims the mayor gave her no reason why she wanted to replace her.

Hawver filed her complaint on January 27. In it, she says during Whipple-Lue’s campaign, “she stated that she would replace white employees with African American employees.” It goes on to say since she took office on January 6, the mayor has taken “approximately a dozen applications from African Americans, although no jobs are available.” The complaint says “Mrs. Whipple-Lue stated that there are not enough African Americans in the government.”

Lawerence filed his complaint on January 24. In it he claims the mayor’s husband, Basil Lue, “has repeatedly requested the races of my employees. There is a total of four White and two African American employees in my department.” The complaitn also says “Mr. Lue stated that Mrs. Whipple-Lue wants to balance out the number of African American and White employees.”

All four complaints claim the mayor has created a hostile work environment.

The attorney for the employees, Brian Jarrard, tells 41NBC the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will investigate the complaints.

41NBC’s calls to Whipple-Lue were not returned.

To be clear, Whipple-Lue has an open invitation to talk to 41NBC about what is going on in the City of Gordon.