Chief Deputy Fired for Defaulting on Student Loans
Charleston, SC – A South Carolina lawmaker and a community activist say the community deserves answers regarding the decision to fire Chief Deputy Joyce Smith of the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.
State Representative Marvin Pendarvis says he plans to send a letter to Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano asking for answers and transparency behind the decision to fire Smith.
Sheriff Graziano said Chief Deputy Smith “willfully” did not pay her federal student loans back in an agreed-upon term. Smith reportedly told her boss it was due to a misunderstanding of the CARES Act Federal Student Loan protections, and that she was taking steps to come into compliance. Graziano also asked for proof of these measures as they became available. The sheriff went on to say there were also “truthfulness infractions” that required her termination. The sheriff’s office confirmed they terminated Smith effective April 1, 2022.
According to a South Carolina state law, a person cannot be employed by state agencies if they have “willfully defaulted” on certain student loans. The agency also has its own employment standards of financial responsibility that Smith also failed to meet, as mentioned in the termination document.
Activists were confused as to why Sheriff Graziano let go of an employee they said has a great reputation and years of experience, noting that the agency has double standards when it comes to internal discipline. Smith worked for the North Charleston Police Department for 25 years before joining the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office in late 2020.
Employment attorney Marybeth Mullaney, who has been practicing for 15 years, stated “I don’t believe it’s very common practice, because this is the first I’ve heard of this situation. Thankfully, I haven’t had anyone call me who has lost a job or been terminated for this reason.”
On April 5 President Biden extended the pause on student loan payments, collections, and interest through the end of August. The US Department of Education said, “The extension will provide additional time for borrowers to plan for the resumption of payments, reducing the risk of delinquency and defaults after the restart.”
Smith’s attorney declined to comment.
