FLORENCE, SC (WMBF) – Drama is plaguing the Florence Housing Authority and this latest saga has a commissioner now calling for an investigation into Executive Director Dr. Alphonso Bradley.

Commissioner Thomas Porter said a car crash involving housing authority adviser Cheveron Scott in which a broken alcohol bottle was found in the back seat was just the tip of the iceberg.

“The thing is, why is there a bottle of alcohol in the back of this car,” Porter said. “He should never have been in the car.”

The crash happened on the afternoon of June 1 at the intersection of Lamar Highway and Rogers Road in Darlington County.

Scott was reportedly trying to cross the Lamar Expressway when he underestimated the speed of an oncoming car, causing the driver to hit him and slam him into another car.

In an internal memo, Scott reluctantly admits it’s his fault, but doesn’t mention the alcohol that was discovered.

Porter said there’s generally no reason for a lawyer to have a company car on the weekend, and what happened next is even more troubling.

“HR had absolutely no knowledge that Attorney Scott had ever been granted the privilege of driving a car,” said Casey Morris, a former human resources administrator.

Morris said that when he learned of the accident, Bradley told him that he would personally handle it.

She added that it was unusual.

“Every other wreck that’s happened during my tenure there, I’ve gone into the office right away,” Morris said.

Although he was advised to back off, Morris said the staff continued to ask her questions, so she answered and ended up in Bradley’s office.

“I was suspended without pay, as was the facilities assistant,” she said. “She was suspended without pay and then the MOD inspector, he was eventually fired because of this incident. We were all just doing our jobs, doing our duties, which is what we usually do when there’s a car wreck.”

Morris said the gossip was put to rest and he resigned a few weeks later.

Months have passed and the car is still sitting on housing authority property.

Porter, meanwhile, said he’s still waiting for Bradley to explain everything.

“That was five months ago and it’s still sitting here. But you will manage,” he said. “Is that how you handle it? Is that how you handle everything?”

When WMBF Investigates started asking questions about the accident and the aftermath, Scott called us.

He declined to go on the record, but an incident report he submitted to the housing authority matches the police reports but also does not mention alcohol.

Bradley initially agreed to an interview with WMBF News, but backed out a day later, sending us this statement instead:

“In June 2024, an employee of the Florence Housing Authority was involved in an accident while driving a company vehicle. The employee fully adhered to Agency policies, promptly reporting the incident and cooperating with both law enforcement and the Agency’s internal protocols.

Following this incident, the Agency became aware that false information about the accident was being circulated within the Agency and among the public. An internal investigation was conducted to determine the source of these inaccuracies, which led to the identification of several employees responsible for spreading the misinformation. As a result, appropriate disciplinary action has been taken in accordance with agency policy.

The Florence Housing Authority is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful work environment where confidentiality is paramount. To protect the privacy and rights of all involved, the agency will not provide further comment at this time.”

Porter said the Florence community deserves more than that.

“I’m just protecting the agency,” he said. “If you don’t like Thomas Porter, that’s fine. But the problems are still real.”

One of the employees who was fired is now suing the housing authority for unfair dismissal.

WMBF News reached out to the rest of the commissioners to see if they share Porter’s concerns and call for Bradley to be placed on leave. As of Wednesday, no responses had been provided.

Stay with WMBF News for updates.

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