Ex-parks and rec director faces five counts of using her office for financial gain
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Former Beaufort County Parks and Recreation Director Shannon Loper will attend a hearing in October 2024 in Columbia to answer for five counts of Use of Official Position to Obtain Economic Interest, according to a letter sent by the S.C. State Ethics Commission.
The letter was sent to the complainant – known to The Island News but who wishes to remain anonymous – stating that the State Ethics Commission has determined that there is probable cause to convene a formal hearing into the matter.
The complainant filed several complaints with the State Ethics Commission about Loper in 2023 – this letter is in response to one of them.
The five counts that Loper faces are:
– Using her position to obtain economic interest for a family member by authorizing payments to her son, Dawson Loper, totaling $1217.
– Using her position to obtain economic interest for a family member by authorizing payments to her son, Devin Loper, totaling $144.
– Using her position to obtain economic interest for a family member by authorizing payments to her son, Drew Loper, totaling $552.
– Using her position to obtain economic interest for a family member by authorizing payments to her son, Dayton Loper, totaling $4774.
– Signing a contract with her son using her official capacity as a public employee in which her son would be financially compensated for services performed.
Loper was fired from her position as Beaufort County’s Parks and Recreation Director in October 2023 and was hired as the interim Parks and Recreation Director in Rincon, Ga., in January 2024.
At the time, Rincon City Manger Jonathan Lynn said in a news release that the City had “done [their] due diligence in [the] hiring process” and they had full faith in Loper’s ability to lead the Parks and Recreation Department.
Loper was named as the interim director awaiting the resolution of the “outstanding issues in South Carolina,” at which time the plan was for Loper to go through the appointment process for the permanent role of director.
When reached for comment today, Lynn told The Island News, “During Ms. Loper’s interview process, she openly disclosed to the City that certain issues were pending resolution with the State of South Carolina. Despite efforts by the city to seek clarification from the State’s Ethics Commission, no definitive information could be obtained due to the documentation available to me. The City will withhold further comments at this time to uphold the integrity of the process and await its conclusion.”
Loper’s termination for her alleged treatment of an employee in October 2023, came just two weeks after Beaufort County Council approved the construction, after its completion, of an inclusive playground in Port Royal that Loper authorized, despite not following the proper procurement procedure for the nearly $800,000 purchase.
She was already the subject of a South Carolina Ethics Commission investigation, officially confirmed Aug. 2, 2023, into allegations she used Beaufort County Public Works property – a Bobcat type vehicle and possibly an excavator – to make improvements upon her personal property in Bluffton in 2021.
After her firing, a second S.C. Ethics Commission investigation into Loper was confirmed.
The second complaint regarding Loper alleged that she hired her sons to referee youth sports and to run a cheerleading camp at some point during her tenure as the Parks and Recreation Director.
Loper’s hearing for the five counts of ethical violations currently pending against her is currently scheduled for Oct. 17, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. in Columbia.
The hearing is open to the public and she is allowed to be represented by counsel and can call and examine witnesses in addition to introduce exhibits.
She also has the right to cross-examine opposing witnesses.
Attempts to reach Loper before press time on Tuesday, April 2, were unsuccessful.
Editor’s note: In the interest of full disclosure, Delayna Earley’s husband interviewed for the Beaufort County Parks And Recreation Director position in 2016.
Delayna Earley, 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.
