Mecklenburg Sheriff McFadden accused of abusing power in chief deputy’s resignation
In a resignation letter, former Mecklenburg County Chief Deputy Kevin Canty accused Sheriff Garry McFadden of verbal abuse, racism and other misconduct.
McFadden did not respond to requests for comment Friday; Canty’s resignation was first reported by WCNC.
“We are a great agency and we always have been,” read a statement from the sheriff sent by his spokesperson. “We will continue to be a great agency and I am confident that we will be an even better agency tomorrow than we are today.”
Canty, a former SBI special agent in charge of the Charlotte region who joined the sheriff’s office in February, accused McFadden of a range of abuses.
“The MCSO functions like a third-world dictatorship with no one following the chain-of-command, which you openly and repeatedly flaunt and encourage staff not to follow,” Canty wrote just eight months after agreeing to work for McFadden. “This has resulted in pure chaos.”
The criticism went on for two pages:
- “I’ve witnessed firsthand your denigrating and unprofessional comments to your Command and Executive staff. I’ve witnessed your blatant insecurities on full display as you accepted credit for all success and deflected blame and attributed all issues and problems to the staff. I’ve also witnessed you lie effortlessly, then throw a temper tantrum and attack the messenger when confronted with evidence that proved you lied.”
- “The way you conduct yourself should be embarrassing to you and you frankly should be ashamed of yourself. The citizens of Mecklenburg County deserve better, as do the employees of the MCSO.”
- “I have watched you marginalize and retaliate against not only me, but against anyone who dares to push back against your endless onslaught of insults and condescending language.”
- “I also watched as you circumvented the Office of Professional Conduct (OPC) and discarded the results of internal investigations if you disliked the results, or if the employee was someone you liked. I’ve also witnessed you weaponize OPC to target employees you have a personal dislike for, instead of using that division to conduct objective, unbiased investigations of allegations of violations of policy and procedure.”
- “I have also heard you use (racist) language, conduct beneath the dignity of the office of Sheriff.”
Canty wrote that he had voted for McFadden twice but that in a 33-year law enforcement career with four agencies, “I have never witnessed such dysfunction” and said he had never seen an agency head act in such a “classless” and “abusive” manner.
“It is my hope that you will one day develop the emotional maturity and introspection that real leaders possess,” Canty wrote, adding that he didn’t think it would happen.
Previous controversies
The sheriff has been criticized on both sides of the political aisle since he took office in 2018. He faced criticism when he shut down the county’s juvenile detention center, as he has for refusing to work with ICE. And state jail inspectors have found many instances where McFadden’s jail guards failed to properly check on inmates who died.
In response to critical jail inspections, McFadden has often deflected blame. Earlier this year, he called a press conference to say the state jail inspection process is not fair.
One pending lawsuit against the sheriff alleges that McFadden’s deputies walked past a suicidal teenager in jail, not checking on him multiple times before he hung himself. A deputy filled out supervision logs retroactively, he said in a deposition.
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
This story was originally published November 2, 2024 at 5:00 AM.