Beaufort Co.’s investigation into manager’s profane posts is done. Is she still employed?
Over two months after Beaufort County’s communications manager was placed on paid administrative leave related to vulgar and inflammatory posts she shared on social media, she is “still an employee,” interim County Administrator Eric Greenway said in an email Wednesday.
The investigation into Laura Fanelli’s social media posts is complete, and county officials met Tuesday to discuss her future, Greenway said.
But Greenway is refusing to answer questions about the county’s decision, what position Fanelli serves on county staff and the results of the investigation. He called it a “personnel matter.”
Former County Administrator Ashley Jacobs began the investigation Oct. 6, two days after The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette reported that Fanelli operated a Twitter account riddled with divisive and profane language on issues such as religion, race, politics and COVID-19.
The Twitter account is no longer active.
The newspapers reported on the social media posts after learning that Beaufort County Council members were planning to hire Fanelli as their 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.
A day after the story published, council members removed her from consideration. They have not announced any other candidates.
Two weeks later, Administrator Jacobs was forced by the council to resign, and Greenway was appointed interim administrator.
The newspapers have filed public records requests with Beaufort County related to the investigation into Fanelli’s tweets, her current position with the county and the amount of money she was paid while on administrative leave.
In an email to a reporter Wednesday, Greenway said, “responses to your FOIA requests are in process.”
The tweets
Jacobs began the investigation to 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 in October.
Fanelli, according to her Linkedin profile (which is no longer “available”), has worked as communications manager for Beaufort County since 2017.
Her twitter page, under the name “LowcountryPatriot,” showed over 39,000 tweets full of 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, it quickly became private.
Among the posts was a retweet of a video with the caption, “The only proven effective social distancing is from black people.”
‘A few days’
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.
Before Jacobs was forced to resign, she told the newspapers the investigation into Fanelli’s posts would take “no more than a few days.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2020 at 4:30 AM.
