Passed over for Horry SC promotion, he was fired for investigating, suit says
A former Horry County employee was fired after questioning why he was passed over for a promotion, according to a recent lawsuit filing.
Benjamin Palmer, the assistant director of the county’s Fleet Service Department since April 2022, was terminated Oct. 2024, the complaint states.
The previous department director was training Palmer to take his spot when he retired in March 2024. Palmer served as interim director for six months, but the county ultimately hired a younger, less experienced employee to take the position, according to the suit.
Palmer began investigating the county’s decision, which he considered a form of age discrimination, and that’s when he was terminated, the complaint states.
When Palmer filed a grievance, county employees told him his investigation constituted “insubordination” and was the sole reason for his termination, Palmer alleges.
Horry County spokeswoman Mikayla Moskov declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Palmer is seeking punitive damages of $300,000, in addition to back pay, attorney’s fees and other compensatory damages, the lawsuit states.
