BENTON COUNTY (KFSM) — The Benton County grievance board will not take up a third grievance filed by a Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputy against Sheriff Kelley Cradduck, County Judge Bob Clinard said Monday (Jan. 18).
Deputy Robin Holt filed a second grievance against the sheriff Jan. 12 after she was reinstated in November following a grievance hearing in response to a different grievance she and another deputy filed in October.
Holt and Deputy Jeremy Guyll both claimed Cradduck demoted them because they reported actions they deemed to be illegal to Arkansas State Police, which led to an investigation into the sheriff. The sheriff announced he was reinstating the deputies to their prior positions after the grievance committee ruled they qualified as whistle-blowers and where therefore protected under the Arkansas Whistle-Blower Act.
Cradduck wasn’t present during the grievance hearing in November, but claimed he had demoted the deputies because of a video they made mimicking rape suspects and victims.
The latest grievance filed by Holt name states “Sheriff Cradduck has engaged in a calculated campaign to retaliate against and threaten Lt. Holt, the other whistle-blowers who cooperated with the pending Arkansas State Police investigation, and any other Benton County Sheriff’s Office employee who the Sheriff believes to be associated with or supportive of the whistle-blowers.” The grievance then lists specific instances that include:
- the sheriff telling his employees that “heads are going to roll” following the primary election in March,
- the sheriff initiating baseless internal affairs investigations targeting the whistle-blowers who participated in the ASP investigation,
- the sheriff and his wife mocking Holt’s November grievance hearing,
- the sheriff revoking work-hour gym use to target the whistle-blowers,
- the sheriff defaming Holt in a January press conference.
Judge Clinard said the grievance board will not take up Holt’s latest grievance because there is no remedy to address the complaint through current county policy.
