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Lawmakers React to Drunken Party at a State Retreat

April 11th, 2013

State lawmakers are reacting after the release of a Georgia Department of Agriculture investigative report detailing the events of a drunken party that occurred during a department training retreat at Lake Blackshear in Cordele, Georgia.

As WABE reported earlier, Chief Operating Officer Billy Skaggs and Food Safety Division Director Oscar Garrison recently resigned in connection with what occurred at the retreat.

According the report, there was excessive drinking and what’s described as a fraternity like environment that occurred during a party that occurred at the retreat on September 17 in Skaggs’ and Garrison’s cabin.

After the party, both men, several male employees and one female employee went swimming in Lake Blackshear and the female employee allegedly went topless. Democratic Senate Minority leader Steve Henson says the report is troubling.

“I’m very disappointed that some of these employees who should have known better conducted themselves in this manner and certainly some of them paid a price for it, and hopefully the department itself will continue education of their employees to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Henson says the incident should prompt all state departments to review their policies. But he says upon his initial review, it appears that commissioner Black handled the matter appropriately by calling for an investigation into the incident.

Republican Representative Jay Roberts who serves on the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee agrees that Black took the appropriate action. But he feels sorry for Skaggs and Garrison.

“The sad thing about it is we’re losing two good men at the Department of Agriculture. They made a bad judgment error, and because of that it cost them job.”

Despite what happened, Roberts says no outside person is needed to monitor state retreats. Both lawmakers say they don’t believe there is a fraternity like culture throughout state government.

WABE has asked the Department of Agriculture to respond to several remaining questions, but is still awaiting a response. The report also revealed that former COO Skagg’s state issued vehicle was damaged and state funds were later used for its repair. But after resigning, Skaggs paid the state back.