The former human resource director for the Lee County Commission filed a lawsuit against her former employer for racial discrimination and retaliation, according to court documents.

Erica Norris also serves as a city councilor in Opelika. She was elected in 2020.

Norris, who is Black, began working as human resources director in 2016. She first reported her concerns about racial discrimination in her Lee County workplace in January 2022, soon after the hiring of a new county administrator, Holly Leverette, who is white. In March, Norris received a written warning for policy violations.

Norris also told Leverette she believed Black employees in other departments had been disciplined and demoted for behavior that was ignored in white employees.

“An independent review substantiated that a Caucasian employee referred to President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as ‘The Honkie and his Hoe,’” according to the complaint. “The review further confirmed that the same Caucasian employee made a reference ‘To tie a noose around another employees’ throat’ but no record was found that this allegation was ever followed up on by the Commission.”

Norris also claimed did not respond in a timely manner for a request for family and medical leave. She told Leverette’s supervisor she thought the slow response to her leave request was in retaliation for her complaints of racial discrimination. Then he told Norris the commission was considering her termination.

She received a letter on Sept. 8, 2022, informing her she had been terminated for policy violations. Norris filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in September 2022.

In her complaint, Norris said her termination damaged her reputation with Opelika constituents.

She filed the lawsuit on April 11, 2023, and is requesting a jury trial.

The county commission has not yet responded in court to Norris’ complaint.