Athens, GA – On October 29, 2021, former Athens-Clarke County Internal Auditor Stephanie Maddox filed a federal retaliation and whistleblower complaint in United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia against the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government, Mayor Kelly Girtz, and County Manager Blaine Williams. Ms. Maddox’s demands include but are not limited to backpay, compensatory and punitive damages, and full reinstatement to the position of ACC Internal Auditor. On Tuesday, November 2, all three complaints were officially served.
A little over a month ago, on September 24, 2021, Mayor Girtz and eight commissioners abruptly and without notice terminated Ms. Maddox from the position of ACC Internal Auditor. For three years, Ms. Maddox has claimed that Mayor Girtz and Manager Williams willfully interfered with her October 2018 open records request. Ms. Maddox’s federal complaint details Mayor Girtz and Manager Williams’ pattern of retaliation and hostility against her stemming from her open records request for a salary and compression study. In the federal complaint, Ms. Maddox alleges that Mayor Girtz and Manager Williams willfully retaliated against and harassed her as a result of her discovery that Manager Williams “had misappropriated more than 4.8 million dollars by not eliminating compression and only choosing to evaluate a limited number of positions within ACC.” Since then, Ms. Maddox has maintained that the Mayor and the Manager have expressed hostility, retaliation, and interfered with her job as ACC Internal Auditor.
Despite numerous calls for accountability from the AADM (1, 2, 3), the commissioners did nothing to address Ms. Maddox’s previous allegations of discrimination and hostile work environments, nor took the time to respond to public concerns. Shortly after renewing Ms. Maddox’s contract and after several years of serving ACCUG, the Commission unjustifiably dismissed her. Athenians should be alarmed and begin to ask questions. Who holds the government accountable? From claims of discrimination to allegedly misappropriation of enormous amounts of taxpayer dollars, Athehians deserve answers.
The AADM will continue to stand firmly with Ms. Maddox as she pursues her federal retaliation and whistleblower complaint. Additionally, the AADM will continue its campaign to restructure the ACC Internal Auditor’s Office through the Athens Accountability Project. Our first meeting will be November 15, 2021 from 5:30-7:30pm at the ACC Library auditorium.
We encourage everyone to attend and voice their concerns about ACCGov. Government accountability and transparency involves both holding elected officials accountable for unjust actions and advocating for systemic policy changes that benefit our entire community. There is no freedom and justice without a real mechanism like the internal auditor to hold the government accountable.
For further comment, please contact Stephanie Maddox at steph12maddox@gmail.com or the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement at admin@aadmovement.org.
Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement
Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) is a grassroots, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2016 and based in Athens, Georgia. The group aims to combat discrimination through education and activism. For more information visit www.aadmovement.org, their Facebook @AADMovement, or their Twitter and Instagram @aadmovement706