A former Sunflower County Sheriff’s Department employee has made a claim of wrongful termination against Sheriff James Haywood and the Sunflower County Board of Supervisors.
In a letter dated March 18 and addressed to the county board, Jamason Simpson said he received a call from a woman who identified herself as Cassandra White who told him that he did not need to report to work that night.
The letter stated that White prefaced her declaration by telling him that she “didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news.”
According to the document, White is identified as an administrative assistant and Simpson said she provided him with the initial news of his termination.
Haywood said on Wednesday that is not her title, and she was asked to contact Simpson, because she knows him and was able to get in touch with him easily.
Haywood said he told Jail Administrator Eddie Bounds, who Simpson said is his immediate supervisor, to get in touch with Simpson and Bounds asked White to get in touch with him.
“Terminating an employee is a very hard thing for me to do, and I don’t take it lightly,” said Haywood.
In the letter, purportedly signed by Simpson, the eight and a half-year-employee further asserts that at 1:47 p.m., he received a text message from Haywood to report to his office the next day at 10 a.m.
Simpson indicated that Haywood and Bounds were present, but Haywood stated, “This is not on Eddie Bounds. This is on me.”
Simpson stated that he was formally informed of his termination, and when he inquired as to why he was being terminated, Haywood reportedly said, “I don’t have to tell you anything ‘cause if I tell you anything you might come back and take me to court.”
Simpson said he inquired about the policy used to terminate him, but he claims Haywood again responded that he did not have to tell him anything and then referenced Mississippi as being an “at will” state.
According to the document, Simpson then requested a hearing through County Administrator Gloria McIntosh and was later given the March 18 date to bring his concern before the board of supervisors, but according to the letter, he was told that the board doesn’t get into the sheriff’s business, but they would hear what he (Simpson) had to say.
In a telephone interview, Haywood said that Simpson was terminated because, “I no longer needed his services. He works at the will and pleasure of the sheriff.”
Haywood said Simpson was not fired due to anything that constitutes an illegal act or cause for an employee to be terminated.
He added that it was not due to race, color, gender or any type of vendetta.
In the letter, Simpson alleged that his firing was retaliatory, brought on by his testimony in a recent court case.
He also stated that his safety has been compromised and that he was forced to operate the jail alone during a midnight shift, an allegation that Haywood denied.
Although Simpson stated he was denied a due process hearing, McIntosh said he appeared before the county supervisors on Monday, as scheduled.
“At no time was he not granted a hearing,” she said.
Board Attorney Johnny McWilliams added that since Haywood is an elected official, he has the right to adopt his own employee policy. However, Haywood said he elected to use the county’s policy, which allows the employee to request a hearing.
McWilliams said Simpson made the request and they heard him.
“We hear anything that they want to tell us,” he said.
