RIDGELAND — A Jasper County School District official alleges he was demoted after raising alarms about then-Superintendent Rechel Anderson's hiring of district staffers to work at her private businesses in Florence and Myrtle Beach.

In a recent lawsuit, former Human Resources Director Wesley Terrill stated that his problems began after he discovered Anderson had hired district employees to work during school hours at a group home and a Jamaican restaurant located hours away.

Terrill alleges that he was demoted to an IT assistant position after he shared his concerns with board members this past summer. Those concerns led to Anderson's suspension, an investigation, and, ultimately, her firing, the suit states.

Terrill is now suing the district, its board, and a cadre of officials. Among other things, he accuses them of breaking his contract, retaliating against him as a whistleblower, and conspiring to demote him.

Through his attorney, Terrill declined a request for an interview. His lawyer, Aaron Wallace, confirmed that Terrill is still a district employee, but otherwise declined to comment.

His lawsuit offers possible clues about the school board's mysterious decision to part ways with Anderson. Board members have repeatedly declined to publicly discuss her departure, despite completing an internal investigation that prompted her firing in October.

But Anderson's attorney was quick to take aim at the claims made in Terrill's suit.

"Many of the allegations involving Dr....

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