ctim directly.

According to the sheriff, the investigator was not assigned to the case and should not have communicated with the victim because of her personal relationship with one of the accused employees. Dix said any questions should have been directed to her husband, not the victim.

The sheriff said the matter has been referred to the interim State Court Solicitor's Office for review because it involves one of its employees.

County: Zero tolerance for misconduct

What they're saying:

County Manager Dr. Steve Ledbetter said the county acted immediately after the allegations were reported and maintains a zero-tolerance policy for harassment, intimidation, retaliation, and abuse of authority.

Ledbetter said the county is committed to ensuring employees can report misconduct without fear of retaliation.

Investigation remains ongoing

What's next:

Both the criminal and internal investigations remain active.

County officials said additional disciplinary action could be taken if investigators determine other employees participated in, enabled, concealed, or otherwise contributed to the alleged misconduct.

Officials are encouraging anyone with information related to workplace harassment, intimidation, retaliation, or other misconduct to report it to their supervisor, Human Resources, or the County Manager's Office as the investigation continues.