SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The South Carolina Supreme Court has sided with a former Surfside Beach employee who claimed she was wrongly terminated.
Jacklyn Donevant served as the town’s director of planning and zoning when she was fired from the position in April 2012. Donevant was absent from her position as director of planning and zoning for 12 weeks while she was on medical leave. Following her return to work, now Interim Town Administrator Jim Duckett instructed her not to change any decisions made in her absence.
During that time, the Town of Surfside Beach moved forward with a new tenant for its vacant pier restaurant. News13 previously reported workers had started installing flooring without a building permit.
Donevant claims her termination came several days after she issued a stop work order on what she called “unpermitted construction work” at the pier restaurant. In court paperwork, Donevant claimed the work violated building codes.
“The question on appeal is whether it is a violation of a clear mandate of public policy to fire a building official for enforcing the building code,” the justices wrote. “As the court of appeals held, the answer is ‘yes.’”