Jody Greene, the now former sheriff of rural Columbus County, North Carolina officially resigned after he was recorded calling Black deputies who worked under him "Black b*stards" and threatening to fire them.
The North Carolina Black Alliance noted Greene resigned during a hearing before he could be formally removed by a judge.
\u201cA packed courtroom gathered for the hearing of former Sheriff Jody Greene, who resigned during the hearing from office. \n\nThis serves as a preliminary step toward justice for the citizens of Columbus County. \n\n#OurChance\n#OurChoice \n#OurVote\u201d— North Carolina Black Alliance (@North Carolina Black Alliance) 1666635740
Greene can be heard saying the following according to an official court filing from the Columbus County District Attorney’s office that contains evidence of recorded conversations:
“Tomorrow’s gonna be a new f**king day. I’m still the motherf**king sheriff...F**k them Black b*stards, they think I’m scared?"
"They’re stupid. I don’t know what else to do with it. So it’s time to clean them out."
“I ain’t gonna have it. I’m gonna cut the snake’s f**king head off. Period."
Greene—whose remarks were recorded shortly after he took office in 2019—later calls then-Sergeant Melvin Campbell, a Black man, "as big a snake" as former Columbus County Sheriff Lewis Hatcher, Greene's predecessor.
The petition from the Columbus County District Attorney’s office notes that Greene targeted specific Black deputies and sergeants in the office. Indeed, shortly after being fired in 2019, Campbell obtained legal representation to seek back pay from the county.
Greene's statements have been harshly condemned by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which called them "divisive" and horrifying."
The organization issued a formal call for Greene to resign late last month, saying that his "actions have cast a cloud over his ability to execute the office with impartiality" and that a "thorough investigation" would be necessary in order to "restore dignity and confidence in the office of the Columbus County Sheriff."
The news of Greene's resignation soon went viral and prompted more criticism online.
\u201cAs this becomes a normal response, let's raise the bar?\n\nToo often folk who shd b prosecuted are allowed to slip away & 'retire', some w/a golden parachute, sorta rewarding their abhorrence (like killers who get paid leave)\nI'd like to see this become the exception, not the norm.\u201d— The Quiet Norm (@The Quiet Norm) 1666712325
\u201cIt never ends.\u201d— cjokay (@cjokay) 1666710255
\u201cJody Greene resigns today rather than face humiliation of removal by a judge .\u201d— Jamaaladeen Tacuma (@Jamaaladeen Tacuma) 1666653624
\u201cWho exactly found the Sheriff\u2019s racial slurs shocking?\u201d— Lynette Jones (@Lynette Jones) 1666743295
Republicans do love their racists.
— Jennifer (@jhowellchrist) October 25, 2022
He will just move to Florida and be welcome
— Goldstein (@Goldstein79) October 26, 2022
\u201cColumbus county never stops producing the worst content\u201d— Joshua Trent Brown (@Joshua Trent Brown) 1666723101
\u201cBREAKING: Less than eight hours after Jody Greene resigned as sheriff in Columbus County, a post on Greene's reelection page says he has no plans to resign his candidacy in upcoming general election. https://t.co/oyVGG5ju43\n#ncpol\u201d— Jon Evans (@Jon Evans) 1666657541
Despite resigning, Greene has made clear that he still intends to run as a candidate for Sheriff in next month's election. He remains on the ballot.
The District Attorney’s Office says they would "have an ethical obligation to file, and will file, a new Petition to Remove Greene from that term of office based on the allegations alleged in the current Petition to Remove" should he win.