A judge has issued a temporary restraining order against outgoing Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau.
It was filed by Sheriff-Elect Javier Salazar who claims that Pamerleau is retaliating against department employees who didn’t support her reelection. Salazar says Pamerleau is also placing people from her command staff into new roles in the department.
"The outgoing sheriff took the position that she was going to demote those people into civil service protected positions before I took the helm of the sheriff’s office," Salazar said. "And in essence I was going to be stuck with these folks that I had already declined to employ. It was done improperly and we’re looking to stop this action from happening.”
Judge John D. Gabriel ordered Pamerleau to immediately desist and refrain from reassigning or replacing employees in the Bexar County Sheriff’s office without “administering the proper procedures and testing.”
In a written statement Pamerleau told TPR that operations and administrative functions don't stop even when there is a change in leadership. "The Sheriff’s Office operates based on Texas statutes, county policy and Sheriff’s Office policy, and any actions taken regarding personnel are strictly based on those directives," the statement read.
The one-term sheriff Pamerleau lost to former SAPD sergeant Javier Salazar in November. Salazar takes office January first.
