Beaufort County investigates communications manager’s profane tweets. What we know
Beaufort County Communications Manager Laura Fanelli has been placed on paid administrative leave while the county conducts an investigation, County Administrator Ashley Jacobs confirmed Tuesday.
The investigation will determine whether Fanelli violated county policies when she shared vulgar and inflammatory posts on social media and if so, “what disciplinary action will be taken,” Jacobs said.
Beaufort County’s investigation into Fanelli comes two days after The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette reported that Fanelli operates a Twitter account riddled with divisive and profane language regarding controversial issues such as religion, race, politics and COVID-19.
Among the over 39,000 posts was a recent retweet of a video with the caption, “The only proven effective social distancing is from black people.”
Beaufort County Council members were planning to hire Fanelli as their new communications specialist to improve their image. She would have served as the public face for the council to convey its goals and messages to constituents.
After the story published on Sunday, the council removed her from consideration.
Jacobs said Tuesday that the investigation will take “no more than a few days.”
Violation of county policy?
Beaufort County’s employee handbook prohibits government employees from engaging in social media “while on County time or on County equipment unless approved in writing by the County Administrator.”
Though employees may access social media sites on personal time, the policy states that postings “should not create hostility or disruption in the workplace.”
“Posts that contain obscene or harassing material, that are unlawful, that contain personal attacks on coworkers, that reasonably call into question the employee’s judgment, or that reasonably cause concern among the public may result in discipline, up to and including termination from employment,” the policy says.
As of Wednesday morning, Fanelli’s Linkedin profile, where she identifies herself as a county employee, states, “I’m on Twitter @LauraGina.”
On Friday, that Twitter page, under the name “LowcountryPatriot,” showed over 39,000 tweets that included conspiracy theories, references to shooting “rioters,” and some racist and inflammatory language.
After the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette asked county officials about the profile Friday afternoon, it quickly became private.
The newspapers have requested from the county a copy of Fanelli’s personnel file.
This story was originally published October 7, 2020 at 10:18 AM.
