Horry SC female workers reported harassment. They say it led to their dismissals

Two former Horry County employees are speaking out against what they describe as a pattern of harassment and inappropriate conduct from a retired top county official that resulted in their forced resignations.

Former Horry County Police Department Investigator Kelsey Manemeit and former county public information officer Mikayla Moskov say they were forced to resign last week after raising concerns about then-deputy county administrator Randy Webster.

Now they’re suing Webster, the county, the police department and its chief after they not only lost their jobs, but had their reputations harmed after the county released a public report alleging they were involved in sexual relationships with coworkers.

“They smeared the victim and the witness,” said attorney Jonny McCoy, who is representing Manemeit and Moskov, during a press conference on Thursday.

Manemeit accused Webster of sexual harassment Oct. 16 in a report to the county’s human resources department, telling officials he kissed her cheek, told her he loved her and telling her he dreamed about her, according to the lawsuit.

“He told her on one occasion, ‘We’re going out of town for a meeting in Columbia with SLED, blocked off the whole day. They get into Columbia, and he’s like, ‘No meeting, just wanted personal time with you,’ and they drive back,” McCoy said. “This guy was doing whatever he could to get her alone, and it didn’t matter how many times that she [pleaded] with him, ‘I just want to see you professional.’”

Manemeit joined the department in May from the Conway Police Department after being recruited by Webster, who was her neighbor, the suit states. She was already separated and undergoing legal proceedings to divorce her husband — also a HCPD officer — months before accepting the job, where she worked in a building named after Webster.

“She’s pleading with him in these messages and in person, ‘Please stop. I love this job. Please keep it professional. This is my dream to be working here,’” McCoy said, referencing pages of texts between Manemeit and Webster. “She did everything she could, and she even told her supervisor … about what’s going on, and nothing happens.”

Moskov also tried to raise concerns about Webster’s conduct with younger women to county officials, including Horry County Administrator Barry Spivey and Webster himself, without success, according to McCoy.

“She even told Randy Webster, ‘This looks bad. The back rubs, the long car rides, the scheduling random meetings to be alone with Kelsey. This looks bad,’” said McCoy. “And he responds and says, ‘I’ve been doing this long enough. I don’t care.’”

Webster announced his retirement soon after Manemeit filed her sexual harassment complaint. He officially departed on Nov. 3 and, just days later, Horry County gave Moskov, Manemeit and three other officers an ultimatum: resign or face termination.

“There’s a big difference, when you work for the government, between resigning and being fired. So this was another offer that you can’t refuse ... They throw around certifications, they throw around reputation, being able to work for another police force. This wasn’t a choice, and that’s our allegation,” McCoy said.

Because Moskov didn’t work for the HCPD, Spivey was the one to give her the choice to resign or be terminated, she said. The Sun News was unable to reach Spivey, who is out of office for the week.

In an internal affairs investigation prompted by an “unharmonious working environment,” the HCPD found sexual affairs between the employees, according to a cover sheet released by the county.

However, no sexual activity occurred on duty, and The Sun News found the publication and terminations were unprecedented for the HCPD.

The lawsuit also disputes the relationships described in the cover sheet. According to their lawyers, Manemeit went on dates with two HCPD officers after separating from her husband, and Moskov was not involved in a sexual relationship with anyone from the department.

The investigation was initiated, in part, based on a desire to “whitewash” allegations against Webster by discrediting Manemeit and to retaliate against the women for voicing their concerns against him, the lawsuit alleges.

“Basically, what we have here is what we believe, based off the time frame the information we’ve been able to gather, is a decision by Horry County to whitewash the actions of Randy Webster, and to do so by discrediting these two women here,” said attorney Tristan Shaffer, who is also working on the case. “They have ruined their careers.”

Manemeit and Moskov are seeking damages, restoration to the positions and backpay.

“Quite honestly, we want an apology, because here’s the thing, you have two people who had a career, and they built their career in this area, and then, because of the fact that they decided to not only fire them, but also publicly fire them and smear their name, they can’t get the same job again unless they get that apology,” Shaffer said, “And that’s worth more to them than any sort of monetary damages we’re going to get.”

This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 3:01 PM.