Murphy – A simmering clash between Cherokee County Commissioner Jan Griggs and tax assessor Teresa Ricks went to a rolling boil at the June 5 Board of Commissioners meeting.
The board met in executive session to discuss Ricks’ further employment with the county following what Ricks said was an allegation of gross insubordination.
The board re-entered open session, during which Ricks was allowed to state her side in public. She spoke for more than 35 minutes. Notably absent was Griggs, who had been present earlier in the meeting and later when the board adjourned for the day.
After Ricks was done speaking, the board re-entered executive session, met briefly and reopened the public meeting Board Chairman Cal Stiles spoke: “I only have one statement in the matter of Ms. Ricks. No action is being taken by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners,” he said.
His statement was met with raucous applause by Ricks’ supporters as the board adjourned. Griggs departed briskly as Ricks greeted her supporters.
Ricks said her issues with Griggs started in July 2022. Ricks had a broken leg in a cast and was wearing shorts when Griggs came into her office and complained about her attire. She took her complaint to the full board of commissioners, which took no action, Ricks said.
Ricks said Griggs has held a grudge against her ever since. She believes Griggs and others have been waging an unrelenting war against her, posting derogatory comments about her and even distributing keys with her personal contact information on them.
Ricks said she has collected 104 of the keys so far. Her harassers have also signed her up for unwanted services using her personal email account and cell phone number.
“It’s no secret Jan (Griggs) has it out for me,” Ricks told the board on June 5. She added that she has also been harassed by a disgruntled former employee, along with others.
Ricks said the harassment has made her hyper-vigilant, and she suspects foul play in the recent death of one dog and the suspected poisoning of another. She said her husband – David Ricks, a building code enforcement officer with Cherokee County – has also been harassed, and their pre-teenage daughter has been traumatized.
“This is getting out of hand. Not only am I mentally and physically exhausted, but now my family is starting to bear the brunt,” she said.
During her defense before the board, Ricks presented a letter of support signed by all seven people who work in her office and another letter of support from county tax collector Delenna Stiles.
Ricks read both letters to the board. Her employees said Ricks has improved the working environment, repairing what had been a hostile workplace, and asked commissioners to keep her on.
Stiles said Ricks has done her best to improve the working environment and keep communications open between offices.
Because Ricks lacked the necessary certifications when she was hired, the county hired someone to train her over the next year. Both her employees and Stiles pointed out that Ricks earned her certifications for the job expeditiously.
Ricks took over as tax assessor in November 2021, after which she dismissed an employee within her department who she claims had a pattern of abusive behavior. Two other employees resigned following the dismissal.
The harassment began a short time later. Ricks filed a complaint with the courts, but in the process divulged confidential personnel information to the public record, and a complaint was filed against her for that.
“This is me finally taking one last stand trying to make this stop and trying to right the wrongs that have been here for a long time,” Ricks told the board. She asked commissioners to search their hearts “and do the right thing.”