Police Chief Fired For Being Gay Wins Appeal, Was Wrongly Fired Say Investigators

After being fired apparently for being gay, the Latta, South Carolina Chief of Police has her job back, and has now won her appeal. An investigation found she was fired without cause.

Almost three months ago, Crystal Moore was summoned before the new mayor of Latta, South Carolina, and given seven written reprimands. Having recently been promoted to Chief of Police, Moore was understandably surprised, having never been reprimanded before in her 20 years on the force. Moore refused to sign the documents without an attorney present, and Mayor Earl Bullard fired her on the spot.

The town council went nuts.

Bullard didn’t count on having the entire town council unanimously vote that they opposed the firing, nor did he count on the entire town council voting to not allow anyone to be hired into the job for almost three months, nor did he count on the town council, and later, the town, voting to reduce his powers dramatically and give them to the town council.

Nor did he count on Crystal Moore being rehired by the town council, which she was this week.

All that happened as a result of Earl Bullard’s homophobia — and now, as the state Department of Employment and Workforce determined this week, her wrongful firing without cause. 

The townspeople immediately, upon hearing Moore had been fired, descended upon the town council offices and embraced Moore. Local news reports became national news reports. 

Perhaps what was most shocking was not that Moore was fired for being gay, what was most shocking was the amazing and genuinely heartwarming support she had from the town — in a state not known for being supportive of LGBT people at all.

Mayor Bullard was secretly recorded in a telephone conversation with a member of the town council. His words were stunning, ugly, shocking and just plain wrong.

“I would much rather have.. and I will say this to anybody’s face… somebody who drank and drank too much taking care of my child than I had somebody whose lifestyle is questionable around children.

“Because that ain’t the damn way it’s supposed to be. You know…you got people out there — I’m telling you buddy — I don’t agree with some of the lifestyles that I see portrayed and I don’t say anything because that is the way they want to live, but I am not going to let my child be around.

“I’m not going to let two women stand up there and hold hands and let my child be aware of it. And I’m not going to see them do it with two men neither.”

“I’m not going to do it. Because that ain’t the way the world works.

“Now, all these people showering down and saying ‘Oh it’s a different lifestyle they can have it.’ Ok, fine and dandy, but I don’t have to look at it and I don’t want my child around it.”

When asked about how she felt hearing Bullard’s anti-gay remarks, Moore said it was “crushing.”

SC Now reports the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce approved Moore’s appeal, “finding she was discharged without cause connected to her employment and meaning she is eligible for back payment of benefits.”

“I feel like another wrong has been made right,” Moore said during an interview in her office Tuesday. “What happened was unfair. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, and I’ve always prided myself on doing what was right and fair. But this lets me know it’s all been worth it. It restores your faith.”

Just before she was rehired, Mayor Bullard secretly hired another chief to replace Moore. The town council fired the new chief. Bullard reportedly did not follow proper hiring procedures. That man has now retained an attorney.

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