The mayor of Latta, S.C., has triggered protests, prayer vigils and a city council vote to weaken his powers after he fired the small town’s longtime police chief, Crystal Moore, who is a lesbian, reports Huffington Post. Latta Mayor Earl Bullard fired Moore last week shortly after she received seven reprimands alleging she had failed to maintain order and questioned authority, among other offenses.
The reprimands were Moore’s first after more than 20 years on the job. City council members said Bullard, mayor since December, broke with protocol by not giving Moore a verbal or written warning and by failing to discuss the matter with the council before taking action. Dozens of residents picketed outside town hall, calling for Moore’s reinstatement. A council member leaked an audio recording of a phone call in which Bullard said, “I’m not going to let two women stand up there and hold hands and let my child be aware of it.”