SULLIVAN’S ISLAND, S.C. Regional – A lawsuit has been filed from the City of Sullivan’s Island and its Main of Police, Chris Griffin, for an incident that happened all through a vendor exposition in November 2019.
Court files show the plaintiffs, Emily Ward and Latane Gooding, were being doing work at the South Carolina Police Chiefs Affiliation Annual Leadership Convention in Myrtle Beach when Griffin approached them about a little something they ended up looking at online.
“After looking at what the plaintiffs have been laughing at, Griffin asked Gooding to mail the impression to him by means of text information, inquiring Plaintiffs if they “liked that stuff” and indicating that he could mail them much more photos,” files said.
It’s unclear what images the two ended up on the lookout at when Griffin approached them.
Griffin allegedly requested the two for their cell phone quantities Gooding instead place Griffin’s amount into her cellphone and despatched him the impression in a group message with Ward. “Griffin instantly questioned plaintiffs to determine by themselves in the team message,” the lawsuit mentioned.
Griffin then despatched practically 20 unanswered and unprompted messages. “After Griffin sent his previous message, he stated “Like any of those lol,” according to the suit.
Files show all the messages had been sexually explicit, racist, demeaning, and inappropriate.
The messages have been described to the Govt Director of the Law enforcement Chiefs Association and the plaintiffs informed him how not comfortable they felt by Griffin’s carry out.
“The subsequent day, on November 20, 2019, the Government Director of the Law enforcement Chiefs Association and the Mount Enjoyable Police Main, Carl Ritchie, drove to discuss with Defendant Town’s Administrator, Andy Benke, and personally delivered the identical messages and documented Defendant Griffin’s perform,” the lawsuit states.
Griffin’s membership was terminated on November 11, 2019.
The lawsuit promises the city did not open up an investigation until finally the women submitted formal problems towards Griffin, in which they again provided the text messages and pictures to the city.
The town of Sullivan’s Island confirmed to Information 2 in December 2019 that they were being investigating “an incident not too long ago reported involving the Main of Law enforcement.”
Sullivan’s Island “subsequently “investigated” Plaintiffs’ grievances, but, on data and belief, took no remedial or disciplinary action versus Defendant Griffin whatsoever,” the lawsuit claimed.
City Administrator Andy Benke tells Information 2 Griffin is however utilized by Sullivan’s Island as Chief of Police. When questioned for comment about the lawsuit, he reported the town does not comment on pending litigations.
