(Roanoke, VA) – A Federal Court has ruled in favor of the former director of the Pittsylvania County Department of Social Services.  Sherry Flanagan filed a civil suit against Pittsylvania County Supervisor Ron Scearce.  The suit stemmed from a retaliatory firing from her post with the Social Services Department back in 2018 after Flanagan gave a speech at a state board meeting that was protected by the first amendment.

According to the article in the Roanoke Times, two weeks after that speech she was terminated by Scearce a member of the local board of social services along with three others who voted in lock step.  Months before the vote Scearce stated there had been more than 20 individuals both current and past employees who had complained of a hostile work environment.  The back and forth between both sides of the debate fueled the fire on social media and other media outlets about “forced resignations, employee favoritism, intimidation and harassment at the local social services department.”

While testimony from former employees focused on Flanagan’s performance on the job and the purported hostility among the agency, the jury was instructed to only determine is Scearce’s retaliation based on the speech.  Attorneys for both parties submitted correspondence from both individuals leading up to the vote.  Scearce took the stand himself stating he had requested the social services board as well as the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors to open an investigation, but nothing came to fruition.  The Virginia Department of Social Services conducted an assessment and found no hostile work environment.

Flanagan was awarded $15,000 in unspecified damages, but the jury was allowed to consider economic damages as well as emotional pain and anguish.

Photo Credit: Jess Blair