Robbinsville – A civil suit that stretched out for nearly five years was settled in March, according to documents recently submitted to The Graham Star.
Former Graham County Sheriff's Office employees Brent and Reba McMahan both filed suits against former sheriff Joseph Jones, stemming from the fallout of Reba's termination from the office shortly after Jones' resignation in 2020. Jones resigned June 29, 2020; Jerry Crisp was appointed by the Graham County Republican Party as his successor July 28; Reba's suit alleged that her termination occurred the same day.
Court documents indicate that Reba was sworn in as a deputy with the Graham County Sheriff's Office on April 4, 2019, while Brent was hired as a narcotics detective in September 2019. The separate filings alleged that the termination centered around the couple's decision to – after first attempting to address matters with Jones – approach District Attorney Ashley Welch with information regarding perceived mishandling of evidence in the sheriff's office; improper use of confidential informants; using false information to obtain search warrants; and alleged sexual harassment toward Reba from Jones.
Brent's lawsuit said that following his initial meeting with Welch, he was demoted to road deputy and then placed as a security officer at the Graham County Courthouse. No date was provided in his filing regarding termination, but it was alleged that the firing occurred after Brent agreed to take a polygraph test when asked to do so as part of an inquiry by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation into the McMahan's reported allegations.
Brent sued for wrongful termination; blacklisting; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligent infliction of emotional distress; and punitive damages.
Reba's complaint sought action for wrongful termination; constructive termination; failure to hire; blacklisting; sexual harassment; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligent infliction of emotional distress; and punitive damages.
Financial terms of the settlements were kept confidential – but both Brent and Reba originally asked $25,000 for each action listed in the lawsuits.
As part of the settlement, Jones also wrote a letter stating that Reba was a deputy "in good standing" with the Graham County Sheriff's Office during her time of employment.
Both suits were originally filed Dec. 10, 2020, but were voluntarily dismissed and re-filed Dec. 3, 2021.
Following the March 2025 settlement, the suits were dismissed with prejudice Aug. 7.