Controversial former Richland recreation director acquitted of sexual misconduct charge
A former director of the Richland County Recreation Commission who was accused of sexually harassing female employees at the agency has been acquitted of a sexual misconduct charge.
A not guilty verdict was handed down Thursday in favor of James Brown III at the Richland County Judicial Center. Brown was acquitted of a charge of attempted third-degree criminal sexual conduct dating to his time as head of the county agency. The case was prosecuted by the state attorney general’s office.
The attorney general’s office declined to comment on the verdict Thursday, citing other pending charges against Brown.
Brown was represented by attorneys Dayne Phillips and Joseph Leventis.
“We were overjoyed that justice was done,” Phillips said in reaction to the verdict. “He had been looking forward to his day in court for years. He always said he was innocent, and we knew we could prove it.”
Brown had been accused of a string of misconduct allegations during his time heading the Recreation Commission, which oversees youth and adult sports programs and 40 public facilities, including swimming pools, summer camps and an 18-hole golf course.
The charges date from Brown’s time as director between 2012 and 2015. He served as director from 2010 and had worked at the Recreation Commission since 1981.
Previously reporting from The State detailed allegations of sexual misconduct against Brown, including the allegation he forced one employee to perform oral sex in a Recreation Commission bathroom and propositioned another woman, who refused.
Brown was indicted in 2016 after an investigation by local, state and federal agencies into his conduct and was forced to resign from his $151,800-a-year job.
A judge ordered that Brown be tried separately on a charge of misconduct in office. That trial will be held at a future date.
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 5:08 PM.
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