In August 2020, Beaufort County Treasurer Maria Walls filed suit against Beaufort County and Auditor James Beckert. The lawsuit has gone through multiple motions, filings, and orders by the court. September 4, 2024, the court denied motions from both Beaufort County and Beckert for summary judgment which would have effectively dismissed the case. On Monday, September 9, 2024, the case will go to trial.
Walls’ lawsuit alleges 26 pages worth of offenses by both the county and Beckert including negligence and failing to assume appropriate duties against the county, and assault, defamation, outrage, and injunction against Beckert. Walls’ original filing includes pictures, screenshots from Facebook, and extensive narrative outlining accusations that Beckert harassed, bullied, intimidated, and threatened Walls on an ongoing basis. An example of Walls’ accusations include that Beckert would stand outside her office window “often just standing and watching Walls work in an attempt to make Walls feel uncomfortable and/or unsafe”. (p.7) Walls also alleges that after finding out she was pregnant Beckert “eerily stated that he hoped nothing bad happened to her while she was out of the office or driving home from work one day”. (p.10)
Intertwined with her accusations against Beckert, Walls accuses Beaufort County of failing in their duty to ensure a safe, non-hostile workplace. Walls recounts multiple instances of county officials and county council members making attempts to mediate or address Beckert’s behavior to no avail. Accusations against the county also include allowing Beckert to use county resources such as the mailroom, computer, county letterhead, and email to defame and make false accusations about Walls. According to the lawsuit, she was “repeatedly informed by the Sheriff, the County Administrator, and County Council that nothing could be done to Beckert due to his status as an elected official”. (p.17)
In their motion for summary judgment filed on August 28, 2024, Beaufort County concedes that Beckert’s behavior was “hostile, boorish, chauvinistic, and abusive” but states that they did not have a duty to use “reasonable care to prevent Beckert’s conduct, and that [the county] was in fact precluded from exercising such care” (p.1) based on the South Carolina Home Rule Act. The county’s arguments against Walls’ accusations center around both Beckert and Walls being elected officials, severely limiting the county’s oversight over their conduct. Beaufort County cites that the Council-Administrator form of government does not give the county government any authority over any elected official.
James Beckert’s motion for summary judgment cited immunity from certain civil claims because of his official capacity as auditor, and a lack of evidence.
Judge Bonds in the Beaufort County Court of Common Pleas denied both the county and Beckert’s requests for summary judgment. The trial for this case is on Judge Bonds’ docket to begin on Monday, September 9, 2024.
In addition to Walls’ lawsuit, there are two other similar lawsuits against both Beaufort County and James Beckert. One of these other lawsuits was filed in 2022 by an employee of the Beaufort County Auditor’s office when Beckert was in charge. This lawsuit alleges “severe physical, mental, and emotional distress” because of Beckert’s behavior, and negligent actions, inactions, and failure to protect from harassment and intimidation by the county. According to lawsuit documents, a settlement was reached through mediation in April of 2024 but the case has not officially been closed at this time. Yet another lawsuit also filed in 2020 by an Assistant County Administrator alleges similar behavior by Beckert, and similar negligence and lack of protection by Beaufort County and is still pending. After being elevated to federal court shortly after being filed in 2020, the case was remanded back to state court in March 2024.
