Durham County leaders bicker over investigating manager’s allegations of racism
Durham County is moving forward with investigating a letter accusing a county commissioner of racism and the county manager who sent it.
The county clerk and attorney will interview potential outside attorneys to investigate the issues associated with County Manager Wendell Davis’ accusing Commissioner Heidi Carter of racism, Commissioner Chair Wendy Jacobs said Monday night. The decision to investigate was made during a closed sessions at a previous meeting, Jacobs said.
The outside counsel will look into:
▪ the concerns Davis raised in his Feb. 11 letter to Carter.
▪ the actions Davis took in the way he sent the letter, how it relates to the International City/County Management Association code of ethics, and whether Davis violated a state law prohibiting a county employee from using their position to influence an election.
Commissioner accused of ‘inherent bias’
In the letter, Davis wrote that Carter harbors “an inherent bias” toward him and “people of color in general.”
His accusation grew out of a remark Carter made about public school funding at a meeting, but he cited other examples including Carter allegedly telling him, “You work for the Board, and when we tell you to do something, you’d better grin and bear it.” He said her language “harkens back to a time in American history, when people of color were slaves.”
Carter called the accusation “baseless” and questioned Davis’ raising it three weeks before the primary election, which Carter eventually won.
Commissioners announced a broad investigation into the letter Feb. 24, but on Monday night Jacobs provided more details after Commissioner Brenda Howerton repeated concerns about fairness and transparency.
Howerton is also concerned about an investigation moving forward when staff are strained from a recent cyberattack and responding to the coronavirus, when the public can’t attend meetings and comment, she said in an interview after the meeting.
“To the Durham community, your voices matter,” Howerton said. “It is your right to be informed to ask questions and receive answers, so it is important to get updates and get them as soon as possible.”
Jacobs outlined the county’s response to Davis’ letter and investigation in comments that followed.
Howerton then said she wasn’t aware of one of the issues to be investigated.
In an interview with The News & Observer after the meeting, Jacobs said the investigation involves outside counsel, so it won’t take resources needed for COVID-19 efforts. She said Howerton was in closed sessions of meetings that outlined all aspects of the investigation.
During this week’s meeting, Jacobs told Howerton it was improper to raise the issue during the announcements and that the board could discuss her concerns in a closed session at Monday’s work session.
Howerton then told Jacobs not to “throw out stuff that you haven’t discussed with me. ... that’s all I am asking.”
“Commissioner Howerton, what did you just do in the announcements?,” Jacobs said. “I am going to continue because you are being hypocritical in the comment that you just made.”
“Oh my goodness,” Howerton said and laughed.
“Excuse me. Excuse me. Let’s talk about impropriety,” Jacobs said, as she moved forward approving minutes from previous meetings.
“OK, you get to call names, go ahead,” Howerton said.
This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 5:11 PM.
