CHAPIN, S.C. — Chapin Town Council worked through a long agenda Tuesday, Nov. 10, as questions about town finances, a dispute over deleted meeting videos and a new employee lawsuit added to tension at Town Hall. The meeting ended without clear answers, and council will meet again Nov. 17.
Several council members contend Mayor Bill Mitchell took down archived recordings of earlier meetings from the town Facebook page, and they allege the removal was illegal. Council is weighing new rules for recording and archiving meetings.
On money, council said an audit will help explain how the town spent funds in fiscal years 2025 and 2026. Members said that audit has to be finished before they approve the 2027 budget. Several residents who spoke during the meeting voiced worry about the state of town finances and the attention the town has drawn.
The lawsuit was filed in Lexington County on Nov. 6 by five former town employees, who sued both the town and Mitchell. They allege discrimination and retaliation after raising concerns about conduct they believed was wrong, and they say they filed complaints with federal equal-employment regulators and the state Human Affairs Commission. Mitchell was elected mayor in November 2025 following the passing of longtime Mayor Al Koon.
According to the complaint, all five were fired or pushed out within about three months of Mitchell taking office. The suit also accuses the mayor of directing a delay in answers to public records requests. The plaintiffs are seeking damages, lost wages and benefits, punitive damages against Mitchell and a jury trial.
Mitchell denied the allegations at the meeting. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigated one of the claims, a physical-contact allegation from November 2025, and did not bring criminal charges. No claim in the lawsuit has been proven in court.
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