Former employee sues Mecklenburg Sheriff McFadden, alleges retaliation
Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden’s former business director has sued him and his agency.
Angelia Riggsbee told The Charlotte Observer in a special report earlier this year that McFadden retaliated against her. Now, she’s bringing those claims to federal court.
Her lawsuit, filed Friday, says McFadden “created a toxic culture of retaliation and racism within the Sheriff’s Department.” Riggsbee worked at the sheriff’s office for just eight months before McFadden terminated her last November.
For almost a year, the sheriff has been hounded by criticism from former employees. Two chief deputies who quit and his recently retired chief of detention have accused him of classlessness, bullying and narcissism. McFadden responded to those claims in recent interviews with the Observer. He said that all three were playing victim.
Through a spokesperson, he declined to comment on Riggsbee’s lawsuit.
“Given our role of serving one of the largest counties in North Carolina, we understand that legal actions are not uncommon,” the sheriff said in a statement. “Out of respect for the judicial process, we will not be making further comments while this litigation is pending.”
He has not said whether he is running for reelection, but March’s Democratic primary already has three candidates: former Chief Deputy Rodney Collins, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Sgt. Ricky Robbins and former jail officer Antwain Nance.
Alleged pay disparity
In a June 2024 internal report, Riggsbee pointed out a pay disparity, according to her lawsuit. She warned that a Black woman in a managerial role at the sheriff’s office was making less than three supervisors who had less experience, less responsibility and fewer years at the sheriff’s office, the lawsuit says.
The pay disparity “if not corrected could result in legal action for the MCSO,” she warned, according to the suit.
She told then-Chief Deputy Kevin Canty and then-Human Resources Director Alexis Pearson “that she was concerned that the pay disparity was racially biased and illegal,” it says.
McFadden is also Black.
He denied Riggsbee’s request to adjust the employee’s pay, which Riggsbee re-upped numerous times, before the sheriff said he would “take a look at it,” according to the lawsuit. In the end, he still did not adjust the pay, the lawsuit alleges.
Travel expenses led to controversy
Riggsbee has also claimed that McFadden asked her to “alter governmental records” after The Charlotte Oberver filed a public records request for the sheriff’s travel expenses.
The Observer reported on McFadden’s trips around the country, along with trips that other sheriffs in the Charlotte region took.
His then-executive assistant, Shelby Jones, called Riggsbee about the Observer’s public records request, according to the lawsuit. Jones said that McFadden did “not want all that” — the records in question — “to go out” to an Observer reporter, the lawsuit says.
The filing alleges that McFadden, through his assistant, ordered Riggsbee to change the records.
“Dr. Riggsbee refused because she believed that the request was illegal and would implicate her in illegal conduct,” the suit says. “Riggsbee reported that this request was unethical.”
Ultimately, McFadden’s office did not omit anything from the records Riggsbee pulled. Jones added notes on what specific charges were for, like airfare or a hotel stay, the Observer found when comparing Riggsbee’s copies to those provided in response to the public records request.
Sheriff accused of retaliation
In her role, Riggsbee “discovered and exposed that several employees were employed and being paid for services not performed,” the lawsuit alleges. That was part of a fraud investigation in which the former business director was alleged to have contracted “with personal friends who did not perform their contractual obligations to the Department,” the suit says.
In a June 2024 memorandum that Canty put together for the sheriff, McFadden referred to Riggsbee and another employee at the time as “problems,” according to the suit.
In July, the sheriff again said he was unhappy with Riggsbee and wanted her on a 60-day work plan, even after a lawyer explained that was skipping legally required steps, the lawsuit says.
When Canty quit last November and was no longer there to protect Riggsbee, McFadden worked quickly to fire her, the lawsuit alleges.
“In all, Sheriff McFadden retaliated against Dr. Riggsbee, including the compensation, terms, conditions, and opportunities at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, because of her reports regarding pay disparity and reports of illegal conduct,” the lawsuit says.
She is asking for at least $75,000 in damages.
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.