COLUMBIA — State Sen. Dick Harpootlian agreed Thursday to keep his language clean when talking to legislative staffers but made clear he still believes the delegation's employees are a waste of Richland County taxpayers' money.

By unanimous vote, county legislators asserted it's not acceptable to belittle employees. At least, that was the gist of it. With all the arguing back and forth, even legislators were confused about what they were actually voting to do.

Asked afterward what he'll do differently, Harpootlian said, "No more potty mouth to employees."

The chaotic and contentious meeting came after 25-year veteran staffer James Brown accused the former state Democratic Party chairman of berating him in a "profanity-laced outburst" over what was missing in a news release sent by the delegation's office — which the self-described mild-mannered 75-year-old called an unintentional small mistake.

"It was disrespectful and demeaning," Brown said about the exchange last month as he asked his bosses to do something to ensure the delegation's office is a non-hostile work environment.

"What happened to you should not happen to anyone. What happened to you was wrong," said Rep. Wendy Brawley, D-Hopkins, who suggested the delegation "go on record to say this type of behavior is intolerable."

Brown also said Harpootlian threatened his job, but the freshman senator countered he did no such thing, saying he knows he lacks that authority as just one of 17 legislators in the delegation.

Ultimately, Harpootlian again apologized if Brown was offended by his use of an expletive — even as he questioned how a Vietnam veteran possibly could be — but refused to apologize for criticizing Brown for what he still contends was intentional for calling the $250,000 taxpayers spend yearly on the office wasteful. He noted Lexington County spends $67,000 to support its delegation, of which he's also a member. And it meets more than once a year.

"The meeting was the culmination of a series of incompetent acts by delegation staff. They didn’t get the job done," Harpootlian said, noting the meeting was between two 70-something-year-old men.

"I find it absolutely ridiculous he's offended by what I said. ... He's been to Vietnam! I’m creating a hostile work environment? This guy’s been shot at," he said, letting his fellow Democrats know they lack the authority to rein him in. "The only person who can do anything to me is the constituents of my district, and I can tell you ... they are outraged and upset at the money we’re wasting and the things that don’t get done."

The outburst at the delegation's office on Nov. 22 was over the Columbia airport commission, which Harpootlian says wastes money on trips and other perks.

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Harpootlian wants the delegation to replace several airport commissioners serving long past their legal tenure — a full decade longer in one case. He became incensed when a news release sent the day before asking people to apply for various delegation-appointed board positions left out the airport seats.

Brown's letter to the delegation following Harpootlian's visit was first reported by The State.

"As hard as we work in society to eliminate bullying in schools and bullying in the workplace, this cannot be tolerated by our body," said Rep. Leon Howard, D-Columbia.

House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, called Harpootlian's behavior — both in the private exchange and the public meeting — "abhorrent."

He's "continuing to call them incompetent as they sit right here without the ability to defend themselves," Rutherford said. "They're not incompetent. They do work hard."

Rutherford tried unsuccessfully to remove Rep. Jimmy Bales, D-Eastover, as the delegation's chairman for not standing up for the staffers. The motion failed, partly because no one wanted the job.

It was the delegation's two Republicans who defended Harpootlian, in a backward way, by saying Harpootlian was basically just being himself. Apologize, they suggested, and let's move on.

"I’m torn. ... Obviously, everybody ought to be for this motion. It’s called the golden rule: Treat others as you want to be treated. We can vote for that, and Dick’s still going to be Dick. It’s not going to change," said Rep. Nathan Ballentine, R-Chapin.

"Just apologize," he told Harpootlian. "You’re probably going to do it again."

The discussion consumed the meeting. The legislators made no appointments, despite needing to fill 65 vacancies on various boards.

They did, however, vote to create a panel to make up some rules to give their meetings order. And they voted to start meeting quarterly to get those positions filled.