Citation for sheriff in ‘Officer Bud’ COVID death is one of 14 issued by NC officials
The sheriff’s office where “Officer Bud” worked before dying of COVID-19 received one of 14 citations issued to employers statewide for failing to report a pandemic-related fatality within eight hours, the Department of Labor said Wednesday.
Sypraseuth Phouangphrachanh, the popular 43-year-old school resource officer from Montgomery County, better known as “Officer Bud,” died in March 2020 after briefly falling ill with flu-like symptoms — the earliest first-responder’s death in North Carolina.
Earlier this week, the NC Department of Labor fined the sheriff’s office $4,000 for not reporting a workplace death within the eight-hour period set out in federal regulations. The citation that came more than two years after the deputy’s death.
The citation upset Montgomery County Sheriff Chris Watkins, who said he felt “deflated” and “flabbergasted” for being penalized for the chaotic early days of the pandemic, when supplies were short and help from state government was hard to get. He called the citation “unprecedented treatment” and warned other essential employers they could expect the same.
No comment from labor commissioner
Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson declined to comment Wednesday, citing an ongoing investigation.
But spokeswoman Jennifer Haigwood said the department has issued 14 COVID-related citations since March of 2020.
.jpeg "Image (1).jpeg")
From Troy, the county seat near Uwharrie National Forest, Watkins said Tuesday that his office had numerous questions after Officer Bud’s death, including whether it counted as a workplace fatality.
The deputy was the first patient of any kind to die of COVID-19 in Montgomery County, and Watkins said resolving benefits for his family took the rest of 2020.
No answer
When he called the Department of Labor and numerous other state agencies, he said, he got no answer at a time many workers where following shelter-in-place guidelines.
But Haigwood said Wednesday the department did not close during the early months of the pandemic and staff was on-hand to help employers.
Watkins said he plans to appeal, which could involve traveling roughly 60 miles to Charlotte.
Haigwood said citations involve several options for employers: requesting an informal conference with staff, which can be done by phone or by video conference, or appealing directly to an independent review commission, which can also be handled virtually.