News Summary
Sgt. Carl Quarterman has filed a lawsuit alleging he faced retaliation after reporting sexual abuse claims involving a Lieutenant School Resource Officer and two female students. The lawsuit details how, despite his serious concerns, he was criticized and demoted by school officials, including Chief of Police Terry Enoch. Following the reports, Quarterman experienced significant changes to his job role, raising questions about the handling of abuse allegations within the district. The case has prompted discussions about workplace ethics and the responsibilities of educational law enforcement.
Savannah, Georgia – A lawsuit has been filed by Sgt. Carl Quarterman, a member of the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System’s Board of Education Police Department, claiming that he faced retaliation after reporting allegations of sexual abuse within the school district. The lawsuit was formally addressed by the school district on Wednesday afternoon.
Quarterman alleges that the retaliation stemmed from his actions in reporting claims involving a Lieutenant School Resource Officer (SRO) and two female high school students. These claims surfaced when Quarterman was informed by another SRO, who alleged that their relative had been abused by the Lieutenant during her childhood. Quarterman took the allegations seriously and reported them to Chief of Police Terry Enoch of the district.
Despite these serious concerns, Chief Enoch allegedly allowed the Lieutenant to continue working with high school students. The lawsuit details allegations that Enoch employed biased internal investigators, intimidated witnesses, and delayed the suspension of the Lieutenant. Following his initial reports, Quarterman felt compelled to write a letter to Superintendent Dr. Denise Watts outlining the abuse claims.
Quarterman’s account of events suggests that instead of receiving support, he faced criticism from Dr. Watts for bringing the matter to her attention. Subsequent to these reports, Quarterman experienced retaliatory measures from Chief Enoch, which included a pay cut, shift change, and demotion from his position.
On March 12, 2025, an amended complaint was filed, pushing the case further in the legal process. The complaint cites that Quarterman faced “baseless discipline” and changes that affected both his work and personal life. This internal investigation corroborated that a meeting took place on August 4, 2023, where the SRO initially disclosed the allegations to Chief Enoch.
Under Georgia law, Quarterman, as a law enforcement officer, was mandated to report suspected child abuse. However, the internal investigation concluded that the statute of limitations had run out for the allegations against the Lieutenant. Allegations of retaliatory actions included changes to Quarterman’s job duties and rank that occurred right after he alerted Dr. Watts and other officials.
Chief Enoch documented Quarterman’s demotion and a probationary period in a letter issued on October 31, 2023. The Lieutenant involved in the allegations resigned from their position on August 23, 2023, shortly after Quarterman sent his letter, amidst ongoing scrutiny over their conduct related to the allegations.
Quarterman’s lawsuit further alleges a culture within the police department of protective bias towards the Lieutenant, as well as poor handling of the complaints against him. The situation has attracted attention, leading Quarterman’s attorney, Anita Balasubramanian, to file both initial and amended complaints regarding the retaliation and abuse claims.
In a response to the growing concern surrounding the allegations and the police department’s handling of the situation, Dr. Denise Watts has announced plans to involve a third-party agency to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the police department’s operational effectiveness.
This case raises significant questions about workplace ethics and the responsibilities of law enforcement within educational environments. The outcomes of the ongoing lawsuit and the external investigation will likely bring further scrutiny to the practices surrounding reporting and addressing allegations of misconduct in Savannah-Chatham County’s public school system.
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Additional Resources
- Savannah Now: Retaliatory Actions by Board of Education Police
- Wikipedia: Retaliation
- Live 5 News: Lawsuit Filed Against Boeing Whistleblower
- Google Search: Whistleblower Lawsuit
- Taipei Times: Workplace Violence Prevention
- Google Scholar: Workplace Violence Prevention
- Ogletree Deakins: Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Workplace Violence
- E! Online: Savannah Chrisley on Retaliation Case
- Google News: Savannah Chrisley
