Ex-Horry County deputy administrator retired after sexual harassment allegations, lawsuit says

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - Horry County tried to use an alleged sex scandal to cover up sexual harassment claims against a longtime leader in public safety, according to a new lawsuit.

Attorney Jonny McCoy with Axelrod & Associates held a news conference Thursday afternoon. Axelrod & Associates is representing former Horry County Police Department Investigator Kelsey Manemeit and the county’s ex-director of public information, Mikayla Moskov, in a lawsuit.

The suit names Horry County, HCPD, Police Chief Kris Leonhardt, and former Horry County Deputy Administrator Randy Webster.

McCoy said that Manemeit and Moskov were told to either resign or get fired, in the county’s attempt to whitewash sexual harassment allegations against Webster.

Webster retired earlier this month, citing ongoing medical concerns.

However, McCoy claims that Webster announced his retirement on Oct. 17, the day after Manemeit sat down with human resources and made claims of sexual harassment against him.

Webster retired with more than 35 years of public safety experience in emergency management, winning awards and serving on many boards and committees throughout the state.

The county also has an emergency operations center, the Randall S. Webster Emergency Operations and Communications Center, named after him.

In 2021, Manemeit and her husband moved across the street from Webster.

McCoy said Manemeit filed for divorce and separated from her husband, an HCPD officer, in March after claiming he cheated on her.

That is when McCoy said that as she was struggling to make ends meet as a single mother, Manemeit confided in Webster and Webster offered her a solution.

Webster hired Manemeit, who previously was at the Conway Police Department, as a member of the Behavioral Services Department, which McCoy said consisted of Manemeit and two other young women, with Webster considering them his closest confidants.

The role came with a substantial raise for Manemeit, and she, along with the two other women, worked under Webster at the Randall S. Webster Emergency Operations and Communications Center, instead of HCPD offices, the lawsuit states.

During the five months that Manemeit worked on the team, Webster sexually harassed her despite pleas for him to keep it professional, McCoy said.

Manemeit expressed that she loved the job and neither she nor Moskov had intended to leave, according to McCoy.

McCoy said that Webster would kiss her on the cheek and hug her at work. The attorney said one time, Webster told Manemeit he loved her while trying to kiss her in a car.

Webster told her he said “I love you” because he had recently almost died and was telling everyone he loved them, according to McCoy.

Webster is also accused of sending inappropriate texts over the five-month period.

Webster wrote that he dreamed about Manemeit and him swimming in a creek wearing very little clothing, according to McCoy.

McCoy said this made Manemeit feel like Webster saw her naked all day long. McCoy noted that Webster is married, citing a newspaper report.

At one point, he apologized for the behavior, saying he would keep their relationship professional, but asked Manemeit not to abandon their personal relationship.

When Manemeit talked with HR on Oct. 16, she read text messages between Webster and her.

On Oct. 27, Manemeit found out about HCPD’s internal investigation, and was interviewed about the investigation the next day.

Manemeit thought the meeting would be about her accusations against Webster, but instead, McCoy said she was immediately asked who she had sex with at HCPD.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Report: Sexual relationships within Horry County police lead to 5 resignations

McCoy said Manemeit answered honestly, mentioning she had gone on a few dates with Det. Don Kobithen that did not work out and that she was dating Sgt. Torry Lewis.

McCoy said that Manemeit was open about her relationship with Lewis, even telling Leonhardt about it.

However, McCoy claims that the relationship did not cause issues like HCPD alleged in its internal investigation, even with Manemeit’s husband being on Lewis’ team.

According to McCoy, no code of conduct was broken, no one was complaining, there was no orgy, no relationships were overlapping, and there was no reason Manemeit and Moskov should have been forced to resign.

In Moskov’s case, McCoy called her the witness and Manemeit the victim.

McCoy said Moskov raised concerns about Webster’s relationship with the women in the Behavioral Services Department and about other behavior Moskov witnessed, like back rubs, long car rides, and scheduled meetings to be alone with Manemeit.

McCoy said Webster told a newspaper he did not know about the allegations before he retired, but the newspaper reported that a county spokesperson said Webster did know about the allegations before retiring.

As far as the allegations, McCoy said that Moskov never had sexual relationship with Lewis and that HCPD has smeared Moskov and Manemeit.

The lawsuit states that HCPD mischaracterized a single encounter between Moskov and Lewis that did not result in intercourse as a “sexual relationship.”

Lewis, Kobithen, Manemeit, Lt. Misty Gore, and Moskov resigned Nov. 6 as a result of HCPD’s internal investigation.

HCPD released the cover sheet for the internal investigation, which states the HCPD Office of Professional Standards received a report on Oct. 27 of a relationship between Manemeit and Lewis.

According to the report, officials confirmed there was a sexual relationship between the two, although Manemeit was married to another HCPD officer who was also a special operations member, which created an “unharmonious working environment.”

The report specifically called Manemeit’s marriage “current,” making no mention of the reported separation.

The report shows they also found that Lewis had been involved in a sexual relationship with Gore, another special operations member, and with Moskov, despite both women being married.

Officials then learned that Manemeit had also been involved in a sexual relationship with Kobithen, another special operations member, according to the report.

This relationship also happened despite Kobithen being married to another HCPD officer who was also a special operations member, the report shows.

The report states that the applicable HCPD policy in this case is “conduct unbecoming.”

Manemeit and Moskov’s defense claim that the internal investigation report should not have been released, even under Freedom of Information laws.

The lawsuit states that the report mischaracterized “a single encounter between Moskov and Lewis that did not result in intercourse as a ‘sexual relationship.’”

Moskov believes that the publication of the report was done “maliciously” by Leonhardt, who originally asked for the opening of the Office of Professional Standards investigation, the lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit, Manemeit and Moskov were really forced to resign because of their concerns over Webster.

The lawsuit states that Lewis, Kobithen and Gore were collateral damage of an “improper” Office of Professional Standards investigation.

When asked how Manemeit and Moskov were doing, Moskov replied, “not well” before attorney Stuart Axelrod ended the news conference, saying, “no one is doing well today.”

A jury trial has been requested in the lawsuit. The defense is requesting damages and an apology.

Calls to Webster have not been returned. A spokesperson said that Horry County does not comment on pending litigation.

Despite taking an interview with another outlet on Monday, Leonhardt canceled a scheduled interview with this station on Thursday without explanation.

The lawsuit can be viewed in full below:

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