Former Walton County administrator sues County Commission, claiming retaliation
SANTA ROSA BEACH — Former Walton County Administrator Quinn Robertson has filed a lawsuit against the Walton County Commission, accusing the board of retaliatory actions during his tenure with the county.
Robertson was appointed county administrator in June 2023, and "almost immediately," he reportedly observed actions that were against "statutory guidelines" in county operations, including instances where commissioners directly instructed county staff, bypassing Robertson's altogether, the lawsuit states.
Robertson, who was fired in January, says in the lawsuit that he informed the commissioners that this was improper and members should come to him with concerns about Walton County's business. The suit says Interim County Attorney Clay Adkinson knew about these discussions.
The situation escalated when Mary King, a longtime county director of administrative services, allegedly resisted pressure from Commissioners Danny Glidewell and Tony Anderson to favor an incumbent contractor for federal lobbying services. Fearing retaliation, King reported her situation to Robertson, according to the suit.
On Oct. 30, Robertson transferred an employee to another department, which the suit says is within his administrative authority. The suit also alleges that Glidewell and Anderson attempted to block this transfer. After that incident, the suit says Robertson and King reported ethics and Sunshine Law violations to the State Attorney's Office.
On Nov. 13, the County Commission held the first of three special or regular board meetings to discuss Robertson's termination. According to the suit, then-Chairman William McCormick was "very upset" that Robertson and King made whistleblower reports to the State Attorney's Office.
On Dec. 15, Robertson reported in writing to the Human Resource Office that he thought the County Commission was attempting to fire him in retaliation for these reports. The board met again on Dec. 19 to discuss Robertson's termination, but those talks were tabled until Jan. 23, when the board voted 4-1 to fire Robertson.
Alleging First Amendment violations Walton County resident sues commissioner, attorney
According to Florida Statute 112.3187, an agency can not dismiss, discipline or take any other adverse personnel action against an employee for disclosing information. The statute also states that agencies such as the Walton County Board of County Commissioners are prohibited from taking personnel action against someone disclosing information.
Under the state's current whistleblower rules, Robertson could be reinstated or receive compensation if an investigation finds his termination was a retaliatory strike against his concerns.
According to Walton County guidelines, county officials cannot comment on any active or pending legislation against the county or a county official.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Quinn Robertson files lawsuit against Walton County Commission
