The Greenville News

It's a story as old as time. Powerful men — and sometimes not so powerful ones — accused of sexual harassment or sexual assault. Think Bill Clinton. Woody Allen, Bill Cosby and most recently, Harvey Weinstein, a man whose alleged actions helped refuel a social media campaign in recent days known as #MeToo.

Against this backdrop, Greenville County Sheriff Will Lewis stepped in front of the microphones Thursday to defend himself against charges in a lawsuit brought by a former employee of the Sheriff's Office, Savannah Nabors.

According to Nabors, Lewis drugged her and sexually assaulted her. A series of audio tapes were filed with the lawsuit. In one, a man identified as Lewis can be heard on tape discussing a trip the two can take to Reno, Nevada, on the county's dime. There's only one catch, he tells Nabors: The county will only pay for one room.

Nabors' main concern in the discussion seems to be that someone will find out since county trips produce paper trails.

"I don’t see how that’s going to work. That’s too risky. I feel like if somebody were to find that out...," she is heard saying on the tape.

"Ain't nobody going to find that out because ain't nobody gonna be there from South Carolina; I mean nobody’s going to find out; That’s the whole point," Lewis can be heard saying. "But again, I mean I wouldn't do it if it was risky. I mean, I’ll think through it ahead of time but that’s kind of the thing. If you’re not comfortable with going with one room..."

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At a Thursday news conference, Lewis, who is married, maintained he is innocent of all allegations in Nabors' lawsuit. His only sin, he says, was having an affair with Nabors.

When the dust from this situation settles, Lewis's statements may prove to be true. After all, anyone can file a lawsuit. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is conducting its own investigation into the accusations, and Lewis has not been criminally charged.

But the sheriff — who is an elected official — now faces a huge credibility problem. And as the county's chief law enforcement official he needs to step down until SLED concludes its probe into his conduct.

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In his remarks Thursday, Lewis said he didn't want the allegations against him to cast a shadow on the good work his deputies are doing. Having a sitting sheriff who is under investigation not only undermines his authority with deputies and other sheriff department employees, it also undermines his ability to execute his duties due to the distraction of such serious allegations.

And long term, such allegations could hurt the county's victim’s advocacy work. Victims of crimes, particularly sexual assault crimes, may not feel their allegations will be taken seriously because the sheriff was accused of inappropriate behavior. On the flip side, if Lewis is innocent of the charges in the lawsuit, his attorney is right to advise him to stay on the job. Resigning, said one legal expert The Greenville News talked to, could imply guilt.

Lewis's guilt or innocence remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Workplace affairs are seldom a good idea. Lewis has admitted to having one with a subordinate. His affair and the circumstances surrounding it could end up costing taxpayers in legal fees and a settlement. That shows extremely poor judgement on his part.

Since the Greenville County Council has no authority over the sheriff, Lewis needs to do what's in the best interest of county residents: step aside until the SLED investigation concludes.

If he is seriously concerned about the damage his indiscretion is having on the county, the department he supervises and his family, perhaps he could use this time to repair those relationships.

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