NEWTON COUNTY – A former longtime animal services director is suing Newton County on grounds of the Georgia Whistleblower Act.
Cynthia Wiemann, who was the animal services director for Newton County from 2018 until this past April is seeking relief by way of a jury trial following her termination. Wiemann claims that the termination violated the Georgia Whistleblower Act, which prohibits retaliation against employees for reporting potential wrongdoing.
Wiemann alleged in a 10-page complaint filed in Newton County Superior Court on Sept. 8 that she was in fact terminated in a retaliatory manner.
The ex-animal services director says in the complaint that her termination came after she raised concerns regarding the county’s agreements with asurrounding cities related to animal services. Each of the municipalities are under an intergovernmental agreement with the county for those services.
“Ms. Wiemann complained to Defendant [Newton County] multiple times about violations of and noncompliance with laws, rules, and regulations and fraud, waste, and/or abuse specifically, that cities within Newton County were failing to comply with intergovernmental agreements for the provision of animal services, as required by O.C.G.A. §§ 36-70-20 et seq., including by failing to pay Defendant contractually owed money for the services Ms. Wiemann’s department provided to them,” per page one of the complaint.
Wiemann claims that, in 2023, she voiced concerns with then-County Manager Harold...
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