Habersham County Human Resources Director Vinitha Robinson has been terminated from her position without cause.
According to Habersham County Public Information Officer Carolyn Gibson and Interim County Manager Alicia Vaughn, Robinson can be fired without cause per her contract. Robinson has been placed on a 30-day administrative leave with her termination date effective Dec. 2.
Gibson says that Robinson is no longer in the county’s administrative building as of this afternoon.
“We wish Mrs. Robinson the best in her future endeavors and are fully cooperating to fulfill the terms of her contract in the coming days,” said Interim County Manager Alicia Vaughn. “Mrs. Robinson was terminated without cause per the terms of her employment agreement. I will serve as the interim HR Director and the county will begin the search for an HR Director immediately.”
RELATED: Habersham County Human Resources Director files race discrimination lawsuit
Robinson, who filed a civil rights lawsuit against the county in May 2020, will receive a paycheck including a lump sum for 90 days of aggregate salary, three months for expense allowance, accrued annual leave and three months for employee’s cost of COBRA continuation (healthcare coverage) will be paid by the county on Dec. 10.
In the lawsuit she filed, Robinson claimed former County Manager Phil Sutton and the board of commissioners discriminated against her because she is Black. Robinson claimed they denied her pay raises that were given to white department heads. She also alleged that they didn’t pay her for additional duties they assigned her, although white employees are paid for the extra work they do.
“I believe Ms. Robinson is fired because she filed her claim of discrimination,” Robinson’s lawyer, Michael Mondy, tells Now Habersham. “Today’s firing is a strategic move by the County.”
Mondy shared a transcript of an interview between himself and Sutton in March of 2021 with Now Habersham. In the interview, Mondy discussed a previous performance evaluation of Robinson completed by Sutton. Sutton gave Robinson high marks, which Sutton told Mondy were undeserved and that he had given her them as encouragement.
Mondy asked Sutton if he had plans to fire Robinson after he discussed the performance issues he says Robinson had. According to the transcript, Sutton told Mondy, “I can’t answer that. I haven’t made that decision.”
“The County waited months after Mr. Sutton retired so they can argue there is no connection between the termination and Ms. Robinson’s lawsuit,” Mondy says. “At trial, I believe the citizens of Habersham County will see the termination as retaliation.”
This article has been updated with additional information
