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 Cooper that multiple cities were not paying the county for animal services. She added that she sent an email on Oct. 26, 2024 to Cooper about the City of Porterdale’s alleged failure to pay animal service fees.
The complaint also outlines possible concerns over enforcing ordinance violations.
“She also reported a concern that the Cities of Porterdale and Covington ordinances were not aligned with Georgia law’s requirements regarding classifying Dangerous and Vicious Dogs. See, O.C.G.A. § 4-8-20 et seq,” per page four of the complaint. “Because those ordinances did not meet the requirements of Georgia law, her department had no power to enforce animal services codes in case of dog attacks.”
Wiemann claims she was abruptly placed on administrative leave after a contentious meeting with Cooper, Newton County Human Resources Director Amanda Shoemaker and Cooper’s Administrative Assistant, Lani White. She added that a memo was prepared against her that included a series of “internal and external complaints” about her since June 8, 2023, but had not received any discipline from the county.
Wiemann reportedly met with Shoemaker on Jan. 6 to discuss her terms of administrative leave. During the meeting, she reportedly expressed concern over consequences of her reporting alleged wrongdoing.
In February, Wiemann met with an investigator at the direction of Newton County human resources. They reportedly discussed her employment and other complaints lodged against her in years prior. She described conversation pertaining to her whistleblowing as “an afterthought” at the end of the interview and called the meeting a “sham investigation.”
Two months later, Wiemann says she declined a severance package presented to her by the county. She was then reportedly informed by an employee of her termination.
“After declining the severance package, Ms. Wiemann heard nothing further about her employment status, or whether she had been terminated,” per page 8 of the filing. “However, on or about April 25, 2025, an employee of the animal shelter contacted Ms. Wiemann to ask what items in the office belonged to her. This worker then informed Ms. Wiemann that the County told the department that her last day was April 11, 2025.
“The Notice of Separation that Defendant submitted to the Georgia Department of Labor states that Ms. Wiemann was terminated for, ‘failing to obey rules, orders, instructions, or the established procedures of your employer when you did not sign a severance agreement.’”
Wiemann is seeking a trial by jury in which she hopes to be reinstated to her former position. She also is seeking full back pay, compensatory damages and attorney’s fees.
The county issued a response to the complaint on Oct. 10, denying that it violated the Georgia Whistleblower Act while also calling Wiemann’s termination reason as “legitimate” and “nonretaliatory.”
