Questions are being raised concerning allegations of hostile work environments against the city of Fort Valley

FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Questions are being raised about allegations of hostile work conditions against the City of Fort Valley after grievance documents detailing incidents involving the firing of several top city officials earlier this year were made public.

The firings of former Police Chief DJ Flores, Assistant Chief Michael Bostic, and City Administrator Gary Lee took place earlier this year in January. The terminations have been scrutinized for months by citizens and elected officials, with questions about the process and the authority behind the decisions.

Multiple formal complaints from within the Fort Valley Police Department allege an increasingly hostile work environment, with documented tensions rising between December 31, 2025, and January 13, 2026. One complaint, filed by Flores, claims that the period before his dismissal included actions that allegedly undermined his authority as chief of police, both publicly and privately.

State Representative Patty Marie Stinson has previously stated to The Leader Tribune that the current city charter does not grant the mayor and city council the authority to fire the police chief; that responsibility falls to the city administrator. She warned that if the council took said action, it could raise serious legal concerns under the existing charter.

Following the terminations earlier this year, Mayor Reeves stated that the city administrator was terminated first, followed by the police chief. 

In addition to the grievances filed by Flores, other documents raised further concerns about alleged interference involving a warrant issued for Councilwoman Sandra Marshall. 

Earlier this year, Marshall was charged with assault by the Fort Valley Police Department after an alleged heated dispute with her apartment complex manager. According to the records, the warrant was officially filed on January 13 and signed by a Peach County Superior Court judge.

A Fort Valley Police Department officer stated that he was directed to enter the warrant into the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) system for validation by the assistant chief at that time. However, the grievance documents provided allege that Mayor Reeves contacted the police department requesting that the warrant be removed.

The document further states that another call was allegedly made, roughly 15 minutes later, by the mayor with the same request. When those efforts were unsuccessful, documents state the mayor sent the city administrator to the police department to pursue the matter further.

The Leader Tribune reached out to Mayor Reeves for comment, but has not received a response.