Three Richmond County School System police officers are back on the job, though state investigations into their certification remain open.
On Tuesday, the school board voted 7-2 to reinstate Lt. Adrienne Burns under probation.
Burns had failed two drug tests following an October vehicle wreck but presented three subjective tests that came back negative, which she said disproved the earlier results.
Burns is one of three officers under investigation by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST), alongside Sgt. Dorothy Holmon and Cpl. Kara Lundy.
Holmon and Lundy were disciplined last year for sharing answers to certification tests via group text, according to letters obtained by The Augusta Press. Holmon received a five-day suspension without pay, and Lundy received three unpaid days.
A whistleblower reported the texts had been shared with at least nine officers. That person later claimed they were placed under supervision by Burns in retaliation, due to her friendship with Holmon.
POST launched formal investigations into all three officers on Nov. 24. Richmond County informed Holmon and Lundy in March that they could return to work but would be restricted from test monitoring until POST concludes its review—an outcome that could take up to 18 months.
POST’s executive director, Chris Harvey, said the council meets quarterly and must first find probable cause before taking action. If certification is revoked, final decisions fall outside the school system’s control.
