Fired deputies sue sheriff for illegal promotions

<p>Three Clayton County sheriff's deputies who claim they were illegally fired, then reinstated with a demotion, are suing the deputies who were appointed to fill their senior positions.</p><p>An attorney for the fired employees filed three lawsuits Thursday in Superior Court claiming that Maj. Mark Harris, Capt. Jon Antoine and Lt. Reginald Lindsey were ill-qualified for their recent promotions by Sheriff Victor Hill.</p><p>The newly elected sheriff sparked a heated controversy when he fired 27 employees _ mostly white deputies _ without warning or apparent cause on his first day in office. They were later allowed to return to work, but demoted.</p><p>The fired employees allege age and racial discrimination by Hill, who is black. Hill said personnel changes were needed to restructure a dysfunctional department.</p><p>As the dispute over the firings plays out in court, the most recent lawsuits claim Harris, Antoine and Lindsey accepted their new positions "in bad faith," knowing they didn't meet the minimum qualifications for the jobs, including completion of the necessary training and service to the department. The lawsuits ask for their removal from office.</p><p>Hill insisted his promotions were legal because former Sheriff Stanley Tuggle had issued an order suspending the promotion policy shortly before he left office. The recent promotions were in compliance with that order, he said.</p><p>Harlan Miller, who represents the fired employees, also charges that Hill's promotions violated Judge Ben Miller's order to "maintain the status quo pending the final resolution" of the firings case. A court hearing was scheduled for Tuesday to address the matter, he said.</p>

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