Officer resigns, alleges unfair treatment

HIGH SPRINGS – High Springs police officer Adam Joy, 25, turned in his letter of resignation July 29. He claimed the police chief, Steve Holley, treated him unfairly and created a hostile work environment.

Joy, who is also pastor of Fusion Temple of Joy Ministries in High Springs, wrote that Holley created an “intimidating and oppressive atmosphere” by singling him out and reviewing his police calls to “find violations on me” concerning those calls. His letter also charges that Holley is acting “in retaliation” for a formal complaint made against Holley to the city manager Feb. 17, 2013.

Nobody with the police department or city government would elaborate on the formal complaint Joy filed, what it regarded or on the allegations of a hostile work environment, so details remain sparse.

Although Joy followed up the next day with another letter asking to rescind his letter of resignation, Holley had already accepted it. Joy’s Police Benevolent Association union representative informed him that he couldn’t reverse it once it was turned in.

In a follow up email to Alachua County Today, Joy also complained that he had given the chief two weeks notice, but was removed from his post effective immediately and paid two-weeks salary by the city. “I was supposed to be there until the 11^th, but Chief Holley had the city manager rush it so I didn’t have to come back anymore, and they just pay me for my two weeks,” he said.

Holley confirmed that Joy was paid for his two-week notice. “I had already accepted his letter of resignation,” he said. “It was not necessary for him to continue with the department at that point.”

In response to the allegations that Holley had been unfair and was acting in retaliation, City Manager Ed Booth said he conducted a fair hearing on the matter and was “unable to comment any further on a personnel matter.”

However, Holley was more forthcoming. “There were internal affairs investigations done based on conflicting information I received after specific incidents in which Joy was involved. The investigations were fairly and professionally done,” he said.

While Joy claims he was not notified of the charges in advance and could not defend himself adequately, Holley explained, “You do not know what you’re going to find when you begin an investigation. You may be looking at one aspect of an incident or situation and learn additional information you had not known about before the investigation began. That happens quite often in the course of an investigation,” he said.

Joy said he had been with the police department for two years and eight months. In an email to Alachua County Today he talked about his future, saying he plans “to pastor full time and am opening an after school and youth center in the old High Springs Herald building in a few weeks.”

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com