02/22/2025
THE CITY CLERK TRIED TO REPORT WRONG DOING! SHE WAS FORCED OUT
Kelly Mcquillen, the former city clerk of New Smyrna Beach, was forced out of her position as the city's head custodian of public records. She earned $100,927 per year, not including benefits. Recently, she was placed under investigation, which led to her resignation and a settlement. Her complaints begain in 2023 about department heads. Her resignation followed complaints about incidents involving former Mayor Russ Owens, former City Manager Khalid Resheidat, Mayor Fred Cleveland, and City Attorneys. After she claimed whistle blower protection, the city launched an investigation into her, although she is not subject to city policies according to her contract as a charter employee.
Complaints
April 2023 - McQuillen brought forth complaints about Mayor Russ Owen where she discovered that he was inappropriately messaging a young minor girl. Kelly McQuillen immeditately reported what she had found and asked why she was not informed, nor the council had been notified of this finding. According to records, she was concerned because Russ Owen had interactively worked with the youth council which was mostly minor, teenaged girls according to documents obtained by JMA Media. The Volusia School Board also FAILED to do a background check on the mayor for participating in these events. The school board said in a comment from Tracy Carpenter that Mr. Owen was not the sponsor/club leader of the student youth council and they do not have the background check record.
November 2023 - McQuillin reported that the assistant clerk, Sharon Taylor Harding, was attempting to obtain MMC Certification. The document states that the City Commission would need to approve the certification due to budget considerations, with McQuillen bearing a fiduciary responsibility to secure that approval. Additionally, it indicates that this action was not part of her job description or a requirement.
February 2024 - Travis Kendrick, a Black employee, overheard Mayor Fred Cleveland sarcastically wishing someone "Happy Black History Month," according to the report. He reported the incident to his supervisor, Kelly McQuillin, who then contacted H.R., as required by policy. According to the report, the city manager Khalid stated, "Travis needed to be a man and tell them what happened". JMA Media reached out to Travis Kendrick for comment, and he stated, "I don't feel comfortable talking about that." Travis Kendrick was laterally transferred, according to a source close to the department, after this incident.
According to the document, the following account was provided to Ms. McQuillen: Instead of taking prompt action and protecting Mr. Kendrick for reporting racism, the City allowed Mayor Cleveland to attack Mr. Kendrick during a meeting about the incident. Shortly after, City Manager Khalid Resheidat accused Ms. McQuillen of "causing drama." Despite the initial report coming from Travis Kendrick, a source close to the department stated that Travis was scolded for eavesdropping on the mayor's conversation instead of the apology that was supposed to be given by the mayor, according to the documents.
April 2024 Kelly McQuillen was having a work conversation with Travis Kendrick when the Assistant City Manager, Ron Neibert, joined them. As the Deputy City Attorney walked around the corner, Mr. Neibert publicly stated, "Hey, guess what? Heather went through Jessica Schuchardt's personnel file and pulled up her psych eval. Her eval reflected that this girlpreviously had dated a man 25 years her senior. Guess that explains more." Ms. Schuchardt is a City Police Officer who Mayor Cleveland bailed out after her felony domestic violence arrest. Ms. McQuillen was stunned that this confidential information would be publicly shared, according to the document.
According to a recorded interview with Fred Cleveland, he admitted to bailing Ms. Schuchardt out. During this time Cleveland left $500.00 in cash in a city vehicle that sources close to the department believed he used it to bail out or pick up Jessica Schuhardt. The mayor denied using the vehicle to bail her out, when approached outside of City Hall. I asked for a log of the vehicle use and the mayor had not officially signed out the car. The following month Kelly McQuillen created a log requiring the vehicle be checked out, according to records requests.
The documents cites that Kelly McQuillen received positive performance evaulations, but they were never given to the City's Commission as required. McQuillin was also NOT recommended for salary increases although other employees were, despite her stellar reviews.
June 20th, 2024 Kelly McQuillen filed a complaint for a hostile work environment and demanded an investigation be done. The city commission "suspiciously" were not given a copy of the complaints, according to the document, but instead of investigating her complaints the city then launched on August 13th, 2024 an investigation into her.
The city cited that all of Kelly McQuillen’s complaints were unfounded in a council meeting review of the investigation, despite there actually being evidence of messages between the fmr. Mayor Russ Owen and a minor.
Kelly McQuillen Attorney aserted whistleblower protection on June 25, 2024. AUGUST 24th, 2024, The City, an investigation totalling $80,000.00 into Kelly McQuillen effectively forcing a resignation of her position as clerk with an additional $85,824.00 to be paid to Kelly as part of severance.
Kelly's complaints against her by the City of New Smyrna Beach:
1. Placing a sign up in the City Clerk's office (see below) Hostile Work Environment
2. Interfering with investigation for speaking with a "witness" in June (despite the investigation into her has not even started in August).
3. Hostile work environment by refusing an unauthorized expensed training class.
Since the resignation, the FINANCE Director has modified their office, having a badging, non-public (employee) entrance.
This investigation cost tax payers over $160,000 with an $85,824.00 severance package and an $80,000 investigation initially starting at $40,000 expanding with an investigators cost of another $40,000.
If you have further informaiton about this incident - Send it in to [email protected]
