The woman who worked as the police clerk for Guyton Police Department is no longer employed after allegations of misconduct were brought to light.
Lauren Mcmillan, who served as the Police Clerk and the Municipal Court Clerk for the City of Guyton, resigned on May 8, 2025. Mcmillan was hired in 2023 under former police chief James Breletic.
At issue was Mcmillan’s alleged relationship with an inmate working on a Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) prison detail for the City of Guyton. The city has a standing contract with GDC in which an inmate detail is provided for assistance with city projects for an annual cost to the city. In turn, inmate labor is provided for various things ranging from trash clean-up and painting to assistance with public works projects. The practice is a long-standing one and common in cities around southeast Georgia, particularly where cities are in close proximity to a prison.
As laid out in the contract, the detail is supervised exclusively by the Georgia Department of Corrections. All supervisory authority and directives come from GDC and their assigned detail officer. Neither Guyton PD nor the city are responsible for the inmate workers.
Family members of City Councilman Theodore Hamby, who is under investigation by the GBI for felony Theft by Taking from the city of Guyton, have alleged that the city was engaged in a cover up of unethical and even criminal behavior by Mcmillan and the inmate. The timeline of events, however, does not affirm that narrative.
When did the City learn of the allegations?
Guyton Police Chief Kelphie Lundy was notified of the allegations involving Mcmillan on the afternoon of May 7 and the chain of command, which includes the city manager, was then notified. Other reports about Mcmillan being ‘caught in the act’ by an employee with the City of Guyton are unfounded as the information was provided to the city by staff at the Effingham County Prison.
Mcmillan reportedly resigned the following morning upon notification that an investigation would be initiated into the allegations. City of Guyton employees cannot prohibit an individual from resigning from their position of employment in order to further an investigation.
Because Mcmillan left on her own accord, no internal affairs investigation was initiated. The purpose of an IA investigation would not be related to criminal acts, only conclusions about whether or not Mcmillan could keep her job.
With her own departure, the need for a determination about employment status was no longer necessary. Mcmillan is not a POST-certified peace officer, so no information is reported to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council.
A Criminal Act?
Under Georgia law, Mcmillan’s behavior does not rise to the level of a criminal act. OCGA 16-6-5.1 defines Improper sexual contact by an employee as an incident in which an employee has contact with someone in the agency’s custody or in the custody of the correctional facility for which the person is an employee.
“An employees or agent commits the offense of improper sexual contact by employee or agent in the first degree when such employee or agent knowingly engages in sexually explicit conduct with another person whom such employee or agency knows or reasonably should have known is:
3) being detained by or is in the custody of any law enforcement agency of which he or she is an employee or agent
5) in the custody of a correctional facility, juvenile detention facility, facility providing services to a person with a disability, or a facility providing child welfare and youth services of which he or she is an employee.”
The inmate was not detained by Guyton PD, which is the law enforcement agency for which Mcmillan was an employee/agent, so subsection (3) does not apply. The inmate was, in fact, in the custody of a correctional facility, but Mcmillan was not an employee of GDC, so subsection (5) does not apply.
Further, since Mcmillan is not a sworn peace officer, no oath is administered to her for the job duties and thus, Violation of Oath of a Public Officer does not apply.
