A Georgia mayor shut down his town’s entire police department and terminated all ten officers after they complained about his wife continuing to work for the municipality despite being fired for creating a hostile work environment.
Mass Termination Rocks Small Town
Cohutta Mayor Ron Shinnick dissolved the Cohutta Police Department earlier this week, posting a blunt notice on the department door stating all personnel had been terminated. The mayor cited inappropriate Facebook comments about his wife as justification for the firings. Officers arrived at work Wednesday morning to discover they no longer had jobs. Shinnick confirmed the department’s closure but offered little explanation beyond stating it was time for a change and promising the fired officers would receive their final paychecks.
Complaints About Mayor’s Wife Preceded Firings
The conflict erupted after officers filed formal complaints about Pam Shinnick, the mayor’s wife and former town clerk, who was terminated last year for creating a hostile work environment in the town of less than 1,000 residents. Despite her firing, officers alleged she maintained access to personal and classified information. Following the complaints, Mayor Shinnick held a joint press conference with Police Chief Greg Fowler and the town attorney announcing they had resolved the dispute through mediation. Less than a week later, all officers were terminated.
Officers Claim Retaliation Despite Assurances
Sergeant Jeremy May, one of the terminated officers, stated the town attorney had explicitly told them their jobs were not in jeopardy for filing complaints. May characterized the mass firing as a personal vendetta by the mayor and said officers took a stand for transparency only to lose their employment. The fired officers have been ordered to return all department equipment. The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office will assume law enforcement responsibilities for Cohutta moving forward. The mayor has not specified what Facebook comments prompted his decision to dissolve the department entirely.