Earlier this week the announcement came that Elma Greene was terminated last Friday from her probationary employment with the Craven-Pamlico Animal Shelter in North Carolina. Here’s what we know so far.
Greene was hired as the replacement for Trinity Smith who left the shelter in 2018. She started her probationary period on September 19 as animal services director.
WITN News obtained a copy of the termination letter from Craven County Health Director Scott Harrelson. The four-page letter states there were four staff complaints, including one that cited Greene with unprofessional behavior Harrelson stated:
“You told another county employee who was trying to assist you with your budget to “put up her dukes, I want to fight!” You made this comment in front of your staff, which embarrassed the staff member to whom you were speaking and made her feel unwelcome, even though she was there to assist you.”
Harrison said there were too many red flags for him to place Greene in a permanent position with the shelter. Not only is Greene said to have embarrassed a member of the staff, but there were also concerns about the cleanliness of the shelter as well as cash receipts and timesheet errors. Harrelson wrote:
“Between staff complaints, exit interviews and my own personal observations as your direct supervisor I have concluded that your behavior is unprofessional and you lack the organizational skills required for this position.”
Greene’s salary was $45,620.
The termination comes as a surprise to many. Since Greene took over, the number of dogs adopted as gone up and the number of euthanizations has significantly gone down, according to a report by WCTI12 News.
Is there a ‘back story’ on this? Anyone with information, please feel free to leave a comment below. Was Greene a bad director who embarrassed her staff or was she a victim of local politics? Click here for a video.
