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NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A longtime City of North Charleston employee is accusing North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey of inappropriate sexual advances both before and during her time working for the city.

DeLisa Reynolds and Keith Summey have known each other for decades. In the late 1990’s DeLisa and her husband at the time, along with Keith, and his wife, Deborah, owned a post office together on E. Montague Avenue in North Charleston.

“So, the four of us renovated, we did work, we ran businesses, we opened a post office,” said Reynolds. “I took that service on.”

Being self-employed, Reynolds said she was concerned about her lack of health insurance. That’s when the Summeys offered her a part-time job working as a receptionist for the City of North Charleston in 2001.

At that time, Summey had been mayor for around seven years.

“I started about 21 years ago and have been there ever since,” said Reynolds.

Throughout her time working for the city, Reynolds moved up the ranks from a part-time receptionist to a secretary a year later, then to an administrative assistant in 2006, a special events coordinator in 2016, and earlier this year she became archives and history coordinator.

Reynolds says the sexual advances by Mayor Summey started before Reynolds began working at the city. She says they began at the post office the Reynolds and Summeys owned together.

“I was at the post office working and he came in. And I went into the closet and he followed me. and that’s where it all began. It was groping. and kissing me,” said Reynolds.

She approximates the time frame of that was in the summer of 1999.

“How many times? I can’t tell you…I can’t tell you that. I don’t….it was so many.”

She said things progressed over the following years and never completely stopped and Summey would still make comments.

“Up until November, this past November it was ‘Hey, let me get a kiss.'”

Reynolds says she was never comfortable reporting the alleged harassment out of fear of retaliation.

“No. I didn’t have anyone to report that to. At that time it was a man’s world. HR was a man director that was very close with the people in the executive department. So I didn’t think I was safe enough to say that or would I lose my job for saying that to HR? I didn’t want my family to know what was going on. I didn’t want my children to know, my husband. So, I just kept it.”

Reynolds considered leaving her job but was concerned about finding the same amount of money and a job she liked as much as her city job.

Reynolds says she started noticing what she describes as an “abuse of power” by Mayor Summey and other executive staffers at the city.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever really noticed so much of it until it actually happened to me directly,” said Reynolds. “Because I was dedicated to the city and the mayor. My goal always was to make sure my job reflected on him as me doing a good job for the city. It was to make him and the city look good.”

During her time working in the executive department, Reynolds says things would stick out to her.

“You notice promotions and things going on and people that were getting more than what others weren’t getting for doing double the work. Other people were coming in because they were friends or whatever. Granted, I was a friend of the mayor as well and the family. So I felt ‘well, they’re protecting me by offering me a position.'”

She says she really started to notice the “abuse of power” when she saw other women becoming involved.

“Just by the way they would disappear together,” said Reynolds. “But I didn’t give it a whole lot of thought.”

Reynolds’ job was switched and she began working at Riverfront Park, something she did not enjoy at first because she felt isolated.

“Maybe that’s because I was starting to see things a little bit differently,” said Reynolds.

Reynolds never planned on coming forward with the allegations. She tells News 2 she planned to stop working for the city at the end of Mayor Summey’s current term which ends in 2023.

“I had already started making a 2.5-year plan. That when the mayor left, I would go too. And I would go silently. And they wouldn’t let me finish out my tenure that way.”

Last October, Reynolds’ adult son made a negative comment on social media about Elliot Summey, Mayor Summey’s son.

Reynolds believes the actions of her son had a direct impact on her, even though she told the Summey family that those were her son’s beliefs and words and did not reflect her own.

“I took a direct hit. My workload got different, I did things that I should not have had to do as a salaried employee, I put in a lot of extra hours that I should not have to do,” said Reynolds. “When they stopped talking to me back in October, things were building and building and I was being scrutinized with everything I did.”

Fast forward to the beginning of 2022, Reynolds was removed from her role of being a Special Event Coordinator at Riverfront Park and given a new role.

“They created this position so they could remove me from what I had worked so hard for.”

Reynolds’ new title is Archives and History Coordinator. A job she says she’s not qualified for nor did she want or ask for.

“They were forcing me out of my position and creating a position I technically do not have the knowledge to do.”

Then, in February 2022, Reynolds filed a formal complaint to the city detailing what she calls the abuse of power.

Reynolds says because of this recent situation, she is upset and frustrated and has changed the way she is thinking about her future.

That’s why she decided to come forward with these allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct and abuse of power.

“I started to rethink…this is not the life I want to live.”

A press release sent to News 2 by the lawyers of Reynolds says if a formal investigation is not made into the allegations, Reynolds will take legal action.

The City of North Charleston responded with the following statement on Sunday. They declined a request for comment on Monday.

“On January 14, 2022, Ms. Reynolds was notified of a lateral move to Archives and History Coordinator. This transfer did not negatively affect Ms. Reynolds’ pay or benefits with the city. Ms. Reynolds’ complaint was received shortly thereafter.

Employment History:Part-time receptionist – 2001Secretary – 2002 Administrative Assistant – 2006 Special Events Coordinator – 2016Archives and History Coordinator – 2022

Mayor Summey and the City deny the allegations raised by Ms. Reynolds’ lawyer and will not comment further on threatened or pending litigation.

City of North Charleston”

Reynolds is currently on leave from her job as part of the Family and Medical Leave Act due to medical issues. She was approved for leave on January 21st, 2022, was reevaluated on April 14th and her leave was extended until June 24th.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

A court likely will decide whether North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey’s past behavior toward a city employee crossed the legal line that separates sexual harassment from poor judgment, but whatever the outcome, the news reminds all of us that he won’t be mayor forever.

Mr. Summey, 75, was widely expected not to seek reelection next year long before longtime staffer DeLisa Reynolds went public with claims that the mayor repeatedly made sexual advances toward her two decades ago and more recently attempted to punish her after one of her family members criticized the mayor’s son on social media. Regardless of who people believe most, the accusations are troubling. Even though Mr. Summey has acknowledged having a stripper strip in City Hall about 12 years ago was “a stupid thing” and says it “has never occurred again and won’t” (a tangential allegation Ms. Reynolds made to The Post and Courier’s Tony Bartelme), it’s safe to say some damage has been done, to him and the community.

For residents, business owners and others who care about North Charleston, this is a reminder that the city soon will be at a crossroads that will help determine its future.

After North Charleston voters go to the polls in November 2023, the city likely will have its first new mayor in more than a quarter of a century. The field of candidates is far from set — and Mr. Summey could surprise us and run yet again — but it’s not too soon for City Council to rectify an election format that we see as a potential land mine.

Under the current rules, the city’s next mayor could take office with as little as 30% of the vote, possibly even less. City Council should change the rules to require the next mayor to get at least 50% of the vote; such a change might mean a Nov. 7, 2023, election and a Nov. 21 runoff between the top two mayoral vote getters.

North Charleston is one of only a handful of cities in South Carolina — and the only large city — that declares a winner based on a simple plurality. The vast majority of cities and towns mirror South Carolina’s primary election laws, which call for a runoff if no one receives 50% of the vote plus one.

This unique feature frankly has gone largely unnoticed because of Mayor Summey’s political dominance over the years; he has had plenty of challengers but few if any close calls. But with a potentially crowded, Summey-less field next year, the odds are greater than ever that the next mayor of South Carolina’s third-largest city might get the job without any kind of mandate.

We believe now is the time for City Council to change the rules to require a runoff. Waiting longer, until the mayoral field starts to firm up, would reduce the chances of success because any change would be filtered more through the lens of which challenger might be helped or hurt.

Ideally, City Council also would change its election rules to stagger the election of its 10 council seats; currently, they all are up for grabs next year, too, but we believe the city would gain valuable stability and continuity if only five council seats were filled in any given election, with the other five elected two years later.

North Charleston is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week, and the milestone should remind us all how much the city has grown and changed in recent years — and how increasingly important it has become and will continue to be to our region’s economy, transportation network and overall quality of life.

This is nowhere near the same city that existed when Mayor Summey moved into City Hall in 1994, and he gets a good chunk of the credit for that.

City Council members should act now to ensure the city’s next mayor, whoever that may be, gets off on the best possible footing.

Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — A city employee is accusing North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey of abuse of power and the city of having a hostile work environment, according to an official complaint she filed in February.

Delisa Reynolds wrote a compliant letter to the Director of Human Resources, Janie King, dated February 4, 2022.

"I am reporting a 'hostile work environment' that is repetitive and pervasive harassment based upon my adult Son's individual “political opinions,” my age, past sexual harassment, and inadequate policies and enforcement," her letter stated.

She claimed a hostile work environment has led her to become depressed, lose sleep, lose weight and suffer long-term depression symptoms, including anxiety for her family's safety- all she says she is seeking treatment for.

Reynolds' letter stated a repetitive and persuasive hostile environment has been present since October 2021, which she believes is a result of her son sharing political opinions on social media which were not in favor of Mayor Summey or his son, Elliott. She said in that same document that the mayor requested an audit that month of the Naval Base Operations, for which she was the liaison.

Reynolds described this environment by citing an alleged requirement to punch a time-clock card for a salaried position. She also claimed the mayor's wife, Debbie Summey, would make derogatory statements about how Reynolds got her job.

She also said when the city transferred her to another position in January, it was a demotion, despite her previous job evaluations being "good."

Her letter mentioned "past sexual harassment" as a basis for "repetitive and pervasive harassment," but the document did not elaborate on that claim.

"The City takes seriously all employee concerns, including those of Ms. Reynolds..." a city spokesperson wrote in response to an ABC News 4 inquiry on the matter.

The spokesperson said Sunday that "... Mayor Summey and the City deny the allegations raised by Ms. Reynolds' lawyer and will not comment further on threatened or pending litigation..."

The spokesperson added that Reynolds was "notified of a lateral move" to Archives and History Coordinator on January 14, 2022, which he said did not negatively affect her pay or benefits. Her complaint was received shortly after.

Reynolds is asking that "all hostile actions" taken by her supervisors and the mayor's wife be investigated and corrective actions be taken.

She had previously worked as Special Events Coordinator and Naval Base Liaison since 2016.

According to the city, her employment history started in 2001 as a part-time receptionist. She has worked as a secretary and administrative assistant for the city as well.

Reynolds' complaint from February can be read in the widget below or by clicking here.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Robert Thomas Iron Design, LLC, a modern blacksmithing company, today announced plans to expand operations in Charleston County. The company’s $2.9 million investment will create 45 new jobs over the next three years.

Founded in 2013, Robert Thomas Iron Design, LLC intertwines traditional blacksmith techniques with modern machining and fabrication methods to craft iron pieces ranging from custom architectural ironwork commissions to volume-produced pieces of furniture, decorative hardware and cookware.

Relocating within the county to 56 Hayter Street in North Charleston, Robert Thomas Iron Design, LLC’s new facility will expand the company’s operational footprint to accommodate production line growth.

The expansion is expected to be complete in the second quarter of 2023. Individuals interested in joining the Robert Thomas Iron Design, LLC team should visit the company’s careers page.

QUOTES

“We are excited about the next phase of Robert Thomas Iron Design’s growth and are very happy that we are able to do this on the historic Navy Base. Our expanded operations will enable our growing community of craftsmen and designers to have the space, equipment and support they need to keep the spirit of blacksmithing thriving in Charleston.” -Robert Thomas Iron Design Owner Robert Thomas

“The success of our existing industries is critical to South Carolina’s strong and growing economy. Today we celebrate Robert Thomas Iron Design, LLC’s expansion and 45 new jobs in Charleston County. Congratulations, and we look forward to their continued success.” -Gov. Henry McMaster

“Congratulations to Robert Thomas Iron Design, LLC on expanding in Charleston County. It’s particularly exciting to announce the growth of a modern blacksmithing company such as Robert Thomas Iron Design, LLC. We look forward to seeing how the company continues to inspire modern craftsmanship in Charleston County and across South Carolina.” -Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III

“Blacksmithing is experiencing a modern artistic revival, and we are proud that Robert Thomas Iron Design, LLC has committed to growing this craft in Charleston County. Their investment and creation of new jobs is a welcome addition to the community.” -Charleston County Council Chairman Teddie Pryor

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster, Lieutenant Governor Pamela S. Evette, and First Lady Peggy McMaster's schedules for the week of June 6 will include the following:

Monday, June 6 at 12:00 PM: Gov. McMaster will attend the Health Supply US announcement, The Westin Poinsett, Gold Ballroom, 120 South Main Street, Greenville, S.C.

Monday, June 6 at 2:30 PM: Gov. McMaster will hold a ceremonial bill signing for H. 3105, S.C. Religious Freedom Act, First Baptist North Spartanburg, 8740 Asheville Highway, Spartanburg, S.C.

Wednesday, June 8 at 10:00 AM: Lt. Gov. Evette will participate in GEA Beach Cleanup, Beachside of the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel, 1110 N. Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Thursday, June 10 at 3:15 PM: Gov. McMaster will attend an office tour at BDV Solutions, 631 South Main Street, Greenville, S.C.

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Gov. Henry McMaster’s Weekly Schedule: May 31, 2022

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Gov. Henry McMaster’s schedule for the week of May 31, 2022, included:

Tuesday, May 31

Gov. McMaster was in the Office of the Governor for office hours, State House, first floor, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

10:00 AM: Gov. McMaster oversaw a State Fiscal Accountability Authority Meeting, Room 252, Edgar Brown Building, Columbia, S.C.

1:15 PM: Economic development meeting.

2:00 PM: Gov. McMaster participated in the 2022 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Science, State House, first floor, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

Wednesday, June 1

Gov. McMaster was in the Office of the Governor for office hours, State House, first floor, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

10:00 AM: Gov. McMaster participated in a press conference with S.C. Center for Fathers and Families to proclaim “Fathers Matter Month” and present the Order of the Palmetto to Pat Littlejohn, State House, North Steps, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

12:00 PM: Gov. McMaster spoke to the Lexington Chamber & Visitors Center’s Business Over Lunch, Doubletree by Hilton, 2100 Bush River Road, Columbia, S.C.

1:45 PM: Constituent meeting.

2:15 PM: Constituent meeting.

2:45 PM: Economic development meeting.

4:03 PM: Agency call.

Thursday, June 2

Gov. McMaster was in the Office of the Governor for office hours, State House, first floor, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

11:45 AM: Gov. McMaster spoke at a law enforcement appreciation luncheon with U.S. Senator Tim Scott, Riverland Hills Baptist, 201 Lake Murray Boulevard, Irmo, S.C.

1:38 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

1:40 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

1:41 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

1:42 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

1:43 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

1:46 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

1:50 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

1:55 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

1:56 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

1:58 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

2:00 PM: Policy meeting.

5:30 PM: Gov. McMaster, First Lady Peggy McMaster, and Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers held an Agriculture Appreciation reception, Governor’s Mansion, 800 Richland Street, Columbia, S.C.

Friday, June 3

10:30 AM: Gov. McMaster met with state and local emergency management officials, Horry County Emergency Operations Center, M.L. Brown Public Safety Center, 2560 Main Street, Conway, S.C.

12:00 PM: Gov. McMaster met with state and local emergency management officials, Charleston County Emergency Operations Center, 8500 Palmetto Commerce Parkway, North Charleston, S.C.

??2:30 PM: Gov. McMaster met with state and local emergency management officials, Beaufort County Emergency Operations Center, Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, 2001 Duke Street, Beaufort, S.C.

4:15 PM: Gov. McMaster visited and toured Parris Island with Commanding General, Brigadier General Julie L. Nethercot.

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