Is the deck stacked against Mary Wilson?

Mary Wilson, who was abruptly fired as Mecklenburg County's DSS director last week, says she can't get a fair appeal because the man who fired her also has final say over her appeal.


In a letter today to Mecklenburg County commissioners, Wilson asks commissioners to intervene. She says County Manager Harry Jones, who terminated her, also has the final word on any appeal.


"I am requesting that you consider how we can have a fair, transparent resolution to this situation," Wilson wrote to commissioners. "Perhaps a representative sub-set of the BOCC can serve as a review panel."

Wilson said her termination came as a complete surprise, that her last review was in October 2011 and that she hadn't been confronted about poor job performance.

Wilson raises an intriguing point that has bothered us from the moment her firing was announced: County commissioners were not notified of her termination until after it happened, even though they are ultimately responsible for DSS's performance.

Wilson oversaw the county's largest department, with more than 1,000 employees and a $161 million budget. Her tenure was marked in part by controversies over her spending and hiring practices.

This story surely has two or more sides to it. The county has not said specifically why Wilson was terminated. But it does seem Wilson would have a hard time getting an impartial review of her appeal if the county manager who fired her has the final say on it.


Here's Wilson's letter to commissioners (click to enlarge).




-- Taylor Batten

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