Town of Chapin seeks attorney to ‘investigate’ employment issues
The Town of Chapin is searching for an attorney to help the town investigate unspecified employment issues.
Chapin Town Council voted to hire “an employment attorney to help us investigate some employment issues” after meeting in a closed-door executive session for about 40 minutes in a specially-called council meeting two days before Christmas.
No attorney has yet to be identified.
It’s the second employee-related move the town has made in as many months. On Nov. 25, the town announced the immediate departure of Town Administrator Nicholle Burroughs after another closed-door session that did away with her job.
Mayor Bill Mitchell, who took office just weeks earlier after winning an election where incumbent Mayor Al Koon had died two weeks before Election Day, announced he would oversee town staff directly as a “full-time mayor.”
Mitchell declined to elaborate on the employee situation when asked by WIS TV after the meeting, saying only that an attorney was needed to “advise us on how to move forward.” He told the TV station there had been no changes to town staff at the time.
The mayor did not immediately return a request for comment from The State on Monday. He has not returned previous calls from The State seeking comment on issues since the election.
Mitchell has also been embroiled in controversy after the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division confirmed the agency is investigating an assault allegation against the mayor. The complaint was filed by a town employee who claimed the new mayor “grabbed” her after Mitchell unexpectedly arrived at town hall three days after the election demanding to be sworn in early because of the vacancy caused by Koon’s death. Normally, the newly-elected mayor would not take office until the following January.
Chapin Town Council normally meets once a month to discuss town business, but Tuesday’s meeting was the third specially called meeting since November’s election.
This story was originally published December 29, 2025 at 9:38 AM.
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