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TYLER, Texas (KETK) – Smith County Animal Control and Shelter supervisor Amber Greene has been fired from her position after an internal investigation found she encouraged an employee to use racial slurs.

Termination records from Smith County describe that the county launched an internal investigation after an animal control employee submitted a letter describing an Aug. 7 meeting where Greene had allegedly made derogatory comments and allowed her employees to use racial slurs.

“After a thorough internal investigation, and your own admission, it was found that you made derogatory comments in the workplace and, more concerningly, permitted employees under your supervision to use racial slurs,” Smith County chief human resources officer Esmeralda Corona wrote in Greene’s termination letter dated Sept. 9. “This behavior is in direct violation of Smith County’s anti-discrimination and harassment policies, as well as the ethical responsibilities entrusted to you as a leader.”

In the original complaint, the employee claims that one of her female coworkers used a racial slur in reference to recent building repairs. When asked to clarify what the coworker allegedly said, the letter claims their coworker used the racial slur again. The complainant alleges that Greene encouraged these remarks by adding to the conversation.

The employee wrote that they were hurt all day after that because they felt that their race was made into a joke. They described having to pray to God at night so they could go to sleep.

“As a leader, your actions set the tone for the entire team. Making disparaging or inappropriate comments undermines the culture of respect and integrity we strive to uphold,” Corona wrote to Greene. “Your behavior has been found to be inconsistent with the expectations of your role and the responsibilities entrusted to you.”

KETK News obtained copies of disciplinary actions taken against Greene in the weeks before her termination on Sept. 9. Smith County first took disciplinary action on Aug. 18, 11 days after the meeting referenced in the employee’s letter.

The first disciplinary action against Greene resulted in a written reprimand being placed in her personnel file, a 3-month probationary oversight period and mandatory one-on-one communication sessions. The first disciplinary action lists the following non-exclusive list of reasons supporting Smith County’s decision at that time:

• “In several occasions when issues have been addressed, you become abrasive and
• defensive.”
• “Instead of finding solutions to problems, you have made excuses.”
• “Failure to properly manage staff and provide a customer service approach to the public.”
• “Poor communication with peers, public, and local organizations.”

Later on Aug. 25, a level 2 disciplinary action was filed against Greene by Smith County. This second action provided similar reasoning as the first action and added that Greene reportedly failed to ensure all animal control duties were being completed during a shortage of staff.

As a result of the second action, Smith County added another reprimand to Greene’s file, required her to attend leadership training and removed her final say over hiring and employment actions.

Then just four days later, on Aug. 29, Greene was placed on unpaid administrative leave during the course of Smith County’s internal investigation. According to Greene’s termination letter, she was officially terminated from her position as animal control and shelter supervisor on Tuesday.

KETK also obtained the termination letter of the female employee who allegedly used the racial slur on Aug. 7. She was terminated on Sept. 2, after an internal investigation found she used derogatory and inappropriate language in the workplace, according to Smith County.

Greene spoke with KETK on Tuesday and she said she believes a complete investigation wasn’t done in her case.

“I feel like a thorough investigation wasn’t conducted. I don’t believe that you can take just one employee’s word about what all was said,” Greene said. “I’ve worked in the animal control field for 15 years, and I have worked very hard to get where I’m at. I want my job back, I love my job.”

Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said Smith County officials directed their human resources department to handle this case. “We directed HR to handle it, and that’s how that’s how it’s supposed to be,” Franklin said. “It really is supposed to be done that way.”

Smith County Animal Shelter coordinator Anglec Reynolds told KETK that she thinks the shelter would fall apart without Greene.

“I think it would fall apart without her because there’s no one that’s ever going to be replaceable for her, no one that can handle the stress that we have in our shelter and I feel like our entire department is going to fall apart,” Reynolds said.

Franklin told KETK he had spoken with Greene about building a new animal shelter.

“I would love a new shelter,” Franklin said. “In fact, I was the first one that went to Amber and we talked about it and I said, ‘I would like to see us have a new animal shelter.’ When we first spoke of it, we were talking about $3.5 million and now we’re looking at around $7 million as the latest price.”

Greene told KETK that she plans to file a grievance with Smith County in regards to her termination.

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