CHRISTIANSBURG (WSLS 10) - Five deputy clerks in the Montgomery County Circuit Clerk's office are out of a job after they weren't reappointed by newly re-elected clerk Erica Williams.
Three of the clerks say Clerk Erica Williams let the office's five most seasoned workers go.
"I was told I was not being reappointed I was being escorted out," said Senior Deputy Clerk Krystal Kesling of her December 30 meeting. "And everything ended that day."
They weren't allowed to get their personal belongings, their email was shut down.
Kesling worked for the court for nearly 10 years. Deputy Clerk Clarence A. Worrell worked more than 15 years, while Deputy Clerk Amanda Haley spent nearly five years in the court. Two others who did not talk to WSLS 10 had more than 53 years combined. One was scheduled to retire May 1, 2016 Kesling and the others said.
The trio said Williams called them in at 4:00 to say December 31, the next day would be their last day and they were given that day off. Their jobs and their benefits were terminated, she said.
"I don't feel like it was any of the work that we did," Haley said. "I think all of us are in agreement that we did our job the way it was supposed to be done. Perfect evaluations. Never issues like that."
She said Williams gave the performance reviews herself and never raised any concerns about her work.
Williams wasn't available to talk on camera and said she can't talk about personnel issues but emailed a statement saying, "Constitutional Officers serve four and eight year terms, and employees of Constitutional Officers understand and have no expectation of continued employment beyond the term of the Constitutional Officer. Any other specific employee matters I can not comment on."
Under state law, constitutional officers like circuit court clerks have the discretion to fire or hire any employee.
Asked if she questioned why she wasn't reappointed, Amanda Haley said, "Yes. No reason was really given."
Kesling said she believes the answer lies in the November election season. "Not supporting her in the election publicly," she said.
All three said they lost their jobs because they didn't back Williams or her opponent ahead of the 2015 election in which they maintain they attempted to stay out of the office politics all together.
"I think it's a shame that you have to publicly declare who you're for," Worrell said. "I think it's our right to vote and not have to wear a sticker or shirt or put something on your car.
"We chose to do our job not support anybody and we asked to be left out of the political part of it," Kesling added.
Williams called any allegation that there is a connection between any employees and who they supported in the election, untrue.
In a phone call Monday afternoon, she went on to say she's an experienced clerk with eight years in the job and more than 20 in the court and legal system. She calls the team she has now "strong."
The office of the clerk is responsible for, among other things, recording deeds, issuing marriage licenses, handling adoptions, concealed carry permits and is the official court administrator for all civil and criminal court cases.
"We did all that," Worrell said. "And the two that aren't here did all that. They did their jobs very well."
Kesling said employees were at a staff meeting December 18 that they needed to write a letter of intent if they were interested in having their jobs. They were due December 23.
"We had to write in there if we wanted to have a different job, what that job would be so that for instance if we were just a regular deputy clerk if we wanted to be promoted at something else we had to ask for that position. We had to say why we thought we were good for that position."
Individual interviews took place the following week, she said, in which she was asked a series of 10 questions.
"It was basically asking things about things we have learned, that we thought could be done better, mistakes that we had made, what we learned from our mistakes," she explained.
They were told of the decision not to reappoint two days later.
"I invested a lot of time in that place. I did the criminal division. I've had excellent reviews. I never made any mistakes. I always did everything I was told one above and beyond what I was supposed to do to help the office and the public," Kesling said.
She and the two others spent Monday beginning the process of looking for another job and health benefits.
"I feel like maybe if I would have supported her and been public with it and went to her fundraisers that I wouldn't be in the position I am now."
Worrell said at this point he's keeping his options open.
"Trust in the Lord. He'll provide."