By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Beaufort County has settled with Beaufort County Treasurer Maria Walls in her lawsuit against the county and former Beaufort County Auditor James Beckert.
The lawsuit was filed in August 2020 and alleged that Beckert spent years “harassing, bullying, defaming and threatening Walls.”
In her suit, she alleged that Beaufort County failed to provide a safe and non-hostile work environment for her and other employees.
On Sept. 4, S.C. Circuit Court Judge Robert Bonds rejected motions made by Beckert and Beaufort County to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Walls.
Jury Selection began on Monday, Sept. 9 and the trial began on Sept. 10, but by Thursday the two parties had come to an agreement about a settlement, although papers have not been officially exchanged between the parties, according to Beaufort County spokesperson Hannah Nichols.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
