Brown and Clement reprimanded

A county investigation cleared Yearwood of discrimination, but found that he had violated county policy by yelling at Brown and others. Yearwood has not participated in closed board meetings concerning the investigation and did not participate in the decision to discipline Clement.

Clement’s reprimand notes that the county’s investigator, David G. Archer of Cartersville, did not feel that Clement had any racial motivation when he talked in October 2009 to two HR employees about senior network engineer Sebastian Ododa. But Archer said whatever Clement said to Michelle Thrasher and Kristi Carey could reasonably have been perceived as offensive.

The two women said Clement had talked about using a “noose” to hang or lynch Ododa, a senior network engineer. But Clement flatly denied saying that.

The written reprimand notes that the Barrow County Employee Handbook prohibits such conduct.

The reprimand reminds Clement that the county government “does not condone, and will not tolerate, any level or type of discrimination based upon race.”

It suggests that he read the personnel policies prohibiting workplace harassment “to ensure complete conformance with applicable standards.”

Hendrix also directs Clement to locate an appropriate “management training course,” as Archer recommended. Hendrix writes that it must be approved by the board, paid for by Clement, and documented that it has been completed within six months.

The letter also informs Clement that the BOC is “reviewing the organizational structure” under his direction and that Hendrix anticipates that “changes will be made as a result of this investigation and to ensure the most effective and functional operation for the County.”

For more details, see the Feb. 17 edition of the Barrow Journal.