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Ex-deputy sues Wake sheriff, claims he was fired after demoting sheriff's friend

A former deputy is suing Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker, claiming Baker fired him in retaliation after the deputy demoted one of the newly elected sheriff's friends.

Posted Updated

By
Jessica Patrick
, WRAL digital journalist
WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — A former deputy is suing Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker, claiming Baker fired him in retaliation after the deputy demoted one of the newly elected sheriff’s friends.

Richard L. Johnson, then chief of operations for the sheriff’s office, said he demoted Deputy Teddy Patrick in 2017 for making homophobic and racist comments during a workplace training session in 2017. In court documents, Johnson said Baker fired him over the demotion shortly after taking office in 2018. Patrick, court filings say, is “a close personal friend and ally” of Baker.

Johnson was employed with the Raleigh Police Department between 1967 and 1972 before he joined the Wake County Sheriff's Office in 1976.

“The sheriff’s office has not had a chance to review the complaint," spokesman Eric Curry told WRAL News. "However, Sheriff Baker’s position has been, and continues to be, that these matters should be handled in the court system where all the facts are brought forth, and are not litigated or sensationalized in the media.”

Johnson filed to sue Baker in February and was issued a right to sue letter by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in October.

According to an investigation, Patrick signaled to deputies he didn't like gay people – he thought being gay was wrong – but said he could work with them.

Former Master Deputy Gray Speight and former Master Deputy Steven Williamson recalled Patrick saying that if he went to a man's house and the man was wearing a dress, he wouldn't go inside. Patrick even outed a fellow deputy in one class, they said.

"[He] stated that [the deputy] was a homosexual. I, myself, and many of my colleagues did not know that," Speight said.

Despite recommendations for Patrick's termination, Donnie Harrison, who was sheriff at the time, ordered Patrick demoted from lieutenant to senior investigator.

When Baker defeated Harrison in the November 2018 election, he promoted Patrick to captain. Patrick has since been promoted to the rank of major and is the third highest ranking official in the department.

Baker has also promoted at least three gay employees in the sheriff's office during the transition, including the deputy who was outed during the training session.

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