Cabarrus faces second county manager severance lawsuit in less than a year
Former Cabarrus County Manager Sean Newton is suing the county over nearly $290,000 in severance pay, becoming the second fired county manager in less than a year to take legal action after a contentious dismissal.
The lawsuit, filed May 5 in Cabarrus Superior Court, comes months after Cabarrus County agreed to pay Newton’s predecessor, longtime County Manager Mike Downs, $489,000 to settle a similar dispute over unpaid compensation following his firing. Together, the two cases stem from a turbulent stretch for county leadership marked by abrupt terminations, shifting majorities on the county commission and accusations from commissioners themselves that personnel decisions were politically motivated.
Newton, who was hired in March 2025 and fired just five months later, alleges the county improperly labeled his termination “for cause” in order to avoid paying him severance guaranteed under his employment agreement. The complaint, first reported by The Cabarrus Compass, says the county’s stated reasons for firing him were “pretextual” and tied instead to “political jockeying and retaliation among the Commissioners.”
Cabarrus commissioners voted 3-2 to fire Newton during an August 2025 meeting after a closed session discussion. At the time, commissioners who supported the firing declined to publicly explain the decision, though Commissioner Laura Blackwell Lindsey later told The Charlotte Observer the move was a “witch hunt” and “political retaliation” connected to the board’s earlier decision to fire Downs.
Newton’s lawsuit claims commissioners justified the firing by alleging he yelled at an employee and was not physically present at the county government center often enough. The complaint denies both claims and argues neither allegation met the definition of “for cause” outlined in his contract.
Under the employment agreement attached to the lawsuit, Newton would be entitled to 12 months of severance if terminated without just cause. His salary had increased to $289,365 after a cost-of-living raise, according to the complaint.
The suit alleges Newton never received prior complaints about his performance and was not given an opportunity to address concerns before commissioners moved to terminate him, calling it “out of the blue.”
The lawsuit asks the court to declare Newton’s firing was not for cause and order Cabarrus County to pay the severance outlined in his contract, along with interest and attorneys’ fees.
Newton’s case mirrors the dispute that followed the firing of Downs earlier in 2025.
Downs, who served as county manager since 2011 and worked for Cabarrus County for decades, was fired in January in a 3-1 vote following a closed session. At the time, commissioners cited concerns tied to the county’s controversial $42 million purchase of an office building, including allegations that an appraisal valuing the building significantly lower than the purchase price was not properly disclosed during the financing approval process.
Commissioner Kenny Wortman, the lone dissenting vote in Downs’ firing, called the move political.
“Downs is an amazing man who has done an excellent job for this county for close to 40 years,” Wortman previously told the Observer. “I think it was a despicable thing that they did to him and our county attorney last night.”
Downs later sued the county alleging he was owed more than $488,000 in severance and unpaid compensation. In September, Cabarrus County agreed to pay Downs $489,000 to settle the lawsuit.
Newton’s hiring shortly after Downs’ dismissal sparked controversy of its own.
Just days after commissioners selected Newton as county manager, the Observer reported Newton and then-Commission Chair Chris Measmer previously shared a business enterprise that had not been disclosed during the hiring process. The revelation led Wortman and Commissioner Lynn Shue to unsuccessfully push for Newton’s removal in March 2025.
“The way this looks now is horrific,” Wortman said during that meeting.
Measmer denied wrongdoing and said Newton was hired based on merit.
The commission remained sharply divided in the months that followed. When commissioners voted to fire Newton in August, Wortman acknowledged the county’s rapid turnover in leadership could damage public confidence.
“Does it look bad for the county? Absolutely, 100%,” Wortman told the Observer at the time. “And whoever eventually takes a spot is going to see that we’ve been through two county managers in seven months.”
Newton’s lawsuit also includes a dispute over records from the closed session meeting where commissioners discussed his firing.
According to the complaint, Newton’s attorneys requested minutes or an account of the Aug. 18, 2025 closed session under North Carolina public records law. The county allegedly responded there were no written minutes and only an audio recording existed, but refused to provide access without a court order.
The lawsuit argues Newton is entitled to the recording because he was present during the closed session discussion surrounding his termination and disclosure would not frustrate the purpose of the closed meeting.
In addition to seeking severance pay, Newton is asking the court to order the county to release the audio recording and pay attorneys’ fees associated with the records dispute.
