DeKalb County Board of Ethics Meeting – August 21, 2026
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
DeKalb County Board of Ethics Meeting – August 21, 2026
The DeKalb County Board of Ethics convened at 6 p.m. on August 21, 2026, with Chairperson presiding. The board unanimously approved the agenda and the minutes of the July 16, 2026 meeting (with the Chair abstaining due to absence). The Ethics Officer, Elisa Murphy, delivered a monthly report covering training, ethics communications, and case updates. The board considered four preliminary cases and voted unanimously to dismiss all four. Public comments were none. Board members discussed scheduling conflicts, a potential audit, and opportunities for community engagement.
Consent Calendar
- Adoption of Agenda: Motion to approve the agenda as presented. Seconded. All in favor, none opposed. Passed unanimously.
- Approval of Minutes (July 16, 2026): Motion to approve the minutes. Seconded. All in favor (Chair abstained). Minutes approved, to be signed by Board Member Tom Clement.
Ethics Officer Monthly Report
- Training: 902 new employees trained since August 17, 2026. Ethics administrator conducted training on August 17. An ethics blast was sent regarding prohibited sources – gifts, gratuities, and sponsorships. Emphasized that vendors/suppliers doing business with the county are strictly prohibited from providing any gifts, even under $40.
- Pending Cases: Six cases on docket, four addressed today.
- Anonymous Reports: One report regarding comments at a community council meeting (referred to Commissioner Davis Johnson, CEO Lorraine Cochrane Johnson, and COO Zach Williams). Two other reports (sexual harassment at private company and retaliation concern) were outside jurisdiction or unidentifiable.
- Open Records Requests: Zero.
- Administrative Items:
- COO Zach Williams requested to move the November 19 public meeting due to a zoning committee conflict. Board discussed options: switch to Zoom or cancel if no cases. Board agreed to tell the COO they will consider Zoom or not meeting if no cases.
- Commissioner Long Spears requested a representative to attend the DeKalb County Women’s Commission meeting on August 26. Board member Bob (likely Scott Matthews) volunteered.
- Clerk DeBerry meeting with Representative Karen Lumpton regarding an alternate appointment.
Preliminary Cases – Dismissals
All four cases were presented by Ethics Officer Elisa Murphy. Each case was dismissed by unanimous vote.
- Case: Taiwan Bailey vs. Nicole Sullivan (July 1) – Complainant alleged reassignment issues but did not identify an ethical violation. Ethics officer gave 10-day notice to correct; no response. Motion to dismiss – all ayes. Unanimous.
- Case: 202614 (Weaver vs. Sorrent) – Allegations of sexual harassment. Complainant’s email bounced; no response. Referred to HR/employee relations. Motion to dismiss – all ayes. Unanimous.
- Case: Anonymous vs. Anthony Grant – Photos of a supervisor sleeping in a break area. Ethics officer contacted COO and director; supervisor had good record. Complainant did not respond to follow-up. Motion to dismiss – all ayes. Unanimous.
- Case: Andy Kaufman vs. DeKalb County School Board – Board lacks jurisdiction over school board (state employees). Dismissed. Motion to dismiss – all ayes. Unanimous.
Board Comments & Discussion
- Board member raised question about an audit of the board. Chair noted he had contacted two former government officials but no progress. Suggestion to check with county purchasing for pre-approved auditors. Budget considerations discussed.
- Board member discussed redirecting frequent school board complaints and suggested increasing community outreach, internships (law fellows, summer internships), and partnerships with organizations like Girl Scouts.
- Future meetings: Next regular meeting scheduled for September 17 at 6 p.m.
Executive Session
- Motion to convene executive session. Seconded. All ayes. No details disclosed.
- Motion to adjourn executive session and approve executive session affidavit. Both passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- All four preliminary cases dismissed unanimously.
- November 19 meeting: Board will consider Zoom or cancellation if no cases; COO may use room for zoning committee.
- August 26 Women’s Commission: Board member Bob will attend.
- Next regular meeting: September 17, 2026, 6 p.m.
- Meeting adjourned at approximately 7:30 p.m. (estimated).
Meeting Transcript
Welcome everyone to today's uh August 20, 2026 meeting of the DeCab County Board of Ethics. It's 6 p.m. So we'll go ahead and call our meeting to order. And before we get into it, as I normally like to do is allow everyone to just introduce themselves. I'll start with our ethics officer to my left. Good evening. My name is Elisa Murphy. Hakeem Hill, you're the general counsel. Good evening. Kathya Similton Shamio. Micah Dow board member. Scott Matthews Board Secretary. Tom Clement, a board member. George Ferrens, board member. Kristen Rogers, Ethics Administrator. All right. Thank you all for that. The second item is the adoption of the agenda, which is in front of you. So absent any suggested changes, I will take a motion. Motion to approve. Zero second. Second. Second. All right. Is there any further conversation? Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying aye or raising your hand. Aye. Aye. Opposed, like sign. All right. The next item is the administrative items, which approval of the minutes of the board meeting of July 16, which I was not here. So just as far as procedurally after we go through our business, I will abstain. And then Mr. Clemens will go ahead and sign those minutes if they're approved by the board. So we have the minutes before you. And if there's uh any suggested changes, go ahead and bring them up now. Otherwise, we could take a motion and so moved. So second. Second. Alright, the motion is second. And of course, no changes. All right. All those in favor signify by raising your hand or saying aye. Aye. Opposed. All those who weren't here and want to abstain, that would be me. So that means that they pass, and Mr. Clemens will uh have you already signed it? Yes.
openpublica.com