Former Assistant Police Chief Jermaine Snell has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Reidsville and four others.
The suit, filed on December 4, 2025, names the City of Reidsville, Mayor Vickie Nail, Police Chief Matthew Lynn, City Attorney Duann Davis, and Police Officer Patrick Swanson.
Background
Snell, who was terminated back in September, was the center of a litany of issues – particularly in the last 60 days of his employment – and had documented problems with insubordination and professionalism go back more than two years.
Snell has been threatening legal action for months in a quest to get his job back, but shortly after his termination, City Attorney DuAnn Davis advised the city council that an attorney with GIRMA, the city’s insurer, had ‘strongly advised’ the city not to move forward with any action relating to the ongoing issue with Snell.
“In the strongest manner possible, I encourage this City to step back, take no action tonight, and meet with the GIRMA attorney before taking any action which could be detrimental to the City. I strongly recommend that we do not address the issues tonight but wait until the GIRMA attorney can advise us in more detail as to how to proceed,” Davis tells the council.
Effectively, the city insurance policy would be at risk and the city could lose coverage entirely if it opted to re-hire Snell after the determinations by the hearing officer. You can read a full timeline on his employment history here.
Highlights from the filing:
- Snell “maintained an exemplary professional record and was promoted multiple times, receiving recognition as a dedicated law enforcement officer.”
- Snell’s termination “occurred after [he] had maintained, throughout his tenure, a professional record with no prior disciplinary actions on file.”
- “Mayor Nail and Chief Lynn are relatively new to their positions with the City.”
- From October 2024 through July 2025, Snell “observed and reported multiple serious violations of law, police department policy, and professional standards within the Reidville Police Department,” and that’s why he was fired.
Among the damages listed in the Complaint:
- “In addition to the termination, Snell has suffered ongoing reputational harm due to unauthorized public disclosures of confidential settlement information by City personnel. Specifically, Facebook and social media posts containing details concerning confidential settlement terms have been disseminated, further disparaging Snell and causing defamatory harm.”
- “These unauthorized disclosures have had a direct negative effect on Snell’s family, including his young child, who has been exposed to small-town politics and weaponized gossip regarding his father’s employment situation.”
- “The combination of the wrongful termination, the biased hearing process, the confidentiality breaches, and the ongoing reputational harm have caused Snell severe emotional distress, anxiety, and injury to his career prospects. Snell has since sought employment opportunities elsewhere, including with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, and has had to explain the circumstances of his termination to prospective employers.”
- Snell “received a right-to-sue letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), confirming that his claims present issues of potential discrimination and retaliation cognizable under federal law.”
- Snell has lost wages since he was placed on unpaid leave in August and terminated in September, as well as health insurance, retirement contributions, and other employment benefits.
- The wrongful termination and ongoing reputational harm have substantially impaired Snell’s ability to secure comparable law enforcement employment, resulting in permanent diminution of earning capacity.
- Snell has incurred and will continue to incur expenses for medical and psychological treatment related to the emotional distress and mental anguish caused by Defendants’ conduct.
- Snell has suffered additional consequential damages, including costs associated with seeking new employment, relocation expenses, and loss of career advancement opportunities.
- The City and others made ‘stigmatizing false statements” regarding Snell’s professional conduct, character, and fitness by characterizing him as having violated policies, referring his actions to the GBI, disseminating unauthorized public disclosures of confidential settlement information, and permitting and condoning social media posts damaging his professional reputation and affecting his family.
- Snell also claims he was not given notice of the allegations against him, he wasn’t given an opportunity to respond to those allegations, he was not given a hearing before an unbiased hearing officer, and denied his right to a neutral investigator.
- These claims were made despite the fact that Snell had a pre-termination hearing prior to his termination, following a lengthy investigation by an outside investigator, and before a hearing officer who was selected by Snell himself. Snell was present for the hearing.
Snell has asked for a jury trial. The Complaint states he is represented by Pierre Ifill of “Hurdle Ifle & Associations” but an internet search indicates the name of the firm representing him is actually Hurdle Ifle & Associates and the name listed on the federal court filing is merely a typo.
Previous Coverage on Snell:
- Reidsville Police Officer Terminated But Council May Risk Insurance Coverage to Bring Him Back
- Reidsville City Council Punts on Employment Status of Terminated Assistant Chief
- Series of Ethics Complaints Show Trouble with Objectivity by City of Reidsville’s Ethics Committee
- Reidsville Remains in Turmoil Over Threats of Lawsuit by Former Assistant Chief
- City of Reidsville Issues Statement on Ongoing Issue with Former Assistant Chief
