A lone police officer who reported their colleagues who cheated on the 2024 certification exam to their supervisor alleges they have been the subject of retaliation as a result.
The identity of the Richmond County School System (RCSS) whistleblower has been kept anonymous in this story to protect the individual. They will be referred to as Officer Whistleblower, and gender-neutral pronouns will be used to refer to the officer.
The alleged retaliation was confirmed in an independent investigation report. The report was obtained via an open records request. Education Planners of Marietta, Ga., an “educational consulting firm helping school districts across the Southeast handle organizational challenges and operate more efficiently,” according to the firm’s website, conducted the review which culminated with a report on July 10.
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Officer Whistleblower was the only one out of at least nine who received the group texts to report the misconduct. The investigation report doesn’t indicate the number of officers on the group text or address the others’ failure to report the misconduct.
The two officers caught encouraging cheating are Sgt. Dorothy Holmon and Cpl. Kara Lundy, according to the report.
Officer Whistleblower told investigators that they believed their name was released to other officers even after being assured their identity would remain confidential. Chief Mantrell Wilson denies the claim, saying he kept the name confidential, according to the report.
Shortly after the complaint was filed against Sgt. Holmon, she disciplined the officer for insubordination and not turning on their body camera, according to the report. The reporting officer was reassigned after being isolated as another alleged form of retaliation.
In response to Officer Whistleblower’s complaint, Chief Wilson temporarily suspended all virtual testing. Wilson also drafted a policy on honesty and integrity and required all officers to sign the draft policy, according to the report.
Wilson also indicated that he felt the three-day suspension and removal from the Emergency Management Team was sufficient disciplinary action for Cpl. Lundy. He also indicated that he was considering taking Sgt. Holmon’s stripes as part of forthcoming disciplinary action.
“Disciplinary action has been recommended for both officers,” Wilson said. “I submit my recommendation to the personnel review board. They make the final decision.”
The independent report recommended that the reporting officer be protected and free from any type of retaliation, Sgt Holmon be disciplined and Chief Wilson “establish and enforce testing protocols to ensure test integrity.”
