BLYTHEWOOD – Following a lengthy, contentious executive session called Monday night, Sept. 22, in which Blythewood Town Council members received legal advice on “Manor operations and incidents,” council voted to release to the public a surveillance video of an incident that occurred in the Manor on Thursday, Sept. 11 involving Mayor Sloan Griffin and a Manor employee.
The Manor incident was first reported in the Sept. 18 edition of The Voice (Conflicting accounts emerge from Manor Incident). Michelle Layman, the wife of Manor Director Fred Layman, gave this account of the incident:
“I went to the Manor to give a check for payment,” Michelle
Layman said. “I have my baby and go to staff’s office to give the check.
“I was told that they will not accept my check and that I
cannot leave the building without taking it with me. When I put the check under
the office door and start to leave, the mayor and a staff member hold the front
door so I cannot leave. I get scared and become distressed when they won’t let
me out of the building. I told them I need air and that I need my medicine out
of my car, but they keep holding the door. I get exhausted and sit down in a
chair, then they stop holding the door.”
“During struggle to get out, before I sit down, I called my
husband to tell him what is happening,” Michelle Layman said. Fred Layman, who
told The Voice that he was on medical leave for cancer treatment, called 911.
Michelle Layman, who ended up in a medical emergency, was issued a trespassing notice by a Richland County Deputy. She was transported by Richland County EMS to a local hospital where she was admitted and discharged days later. Michelle Layman told The Voice that her doctors said she had suffered a mild heart attack.
The Voice received a copy of the video from the incident on Tuesday. It shows a male Manor employee holding the Manor door closed. Michelle Layman appears to be in distress as she tries to open the door and leave the building.
The full surveillance video is almost two hours long, too large to post on Facebook in its entirety. The Voice posted a 3-1/2 minute clip.
The posted clip does not include the footage that shows
Michelle Layman pushing her 10-month-old baby daughter in a stroller, walking
at a normal pace down a hallway towards the door to leave. As she approaches
the door a male Manor employee steps in front of her, blocking her and her baby
from leaving.
The clip posted on The Voice’s Facebook page begins with
Layman already blocked by the male staffer who can be seen holding the doors to
the Manor closed. Layman at first
appears to plead with him and the mayor and another town employee, a woman who
continues to stand and walk nearby.
As the male employee holds the door, Layman pushes on it
until the door slightly bulges out. The mayor walks over to the male employee
and they talk. The mayor then walks outside and in front of the door Michelle
Layman is trying to push.
Layman then tries to push the stroller around the male
employee to get to another door, but the male employee reaches that door ahead
of Layman and blocks it as well.
At no point does it appear that the mayor or the female
employee offer to help Michelle Layman exit the building. The female employee’s
role in the incident is not clear.
The Vote
As the council members left executive session and returned
to open session Monday night, tensions were high, with Griffin using curse
words as he approached the dais to be seated.
Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock made a motion.
“Mr. Mayor, I move to release the video effective
immediately in regards to the incident that occurred on Sept. 11, 2025, from
approximately 3.30 p.m. to 5.30 p. m,” Brock said.
Councilman Rich McKenrick added a friendly amendment to the
motion.
“I would suggest getting an incident report from each
employee that was present during the alleged incident and give it to the county
attorney,” McKenrick said.
In a roll call vote, Griffin joined Brock, Councilwoman
Andrea Fripp and McKenrick – a majority of the quorum – who had already voted
to pass the motion before Griffin cast his ‘yes’ vote. Councilwoman Erica Page
voted against the measure.
“It’s a public video that took place in a public place with
public employees. It needs to be released immediately. Releasing it doesn’t
change what’s on the video.”
Fripp asked if releasing the video would have a negative
impact on the ongoing investigation.
“Is there an open and active investigation into this?” Brock
questioned and then answered his own question. “No. The answer is No. So,
there’s no negative impact on the investigation because one doesn’t exist.
“Will it spur one?” he asked, then again answered.
“Absolutely. Should it? 1,000 percent.”
Both Driggers and Balthazar advised council members against
releasing the video, according to several council members.
The next day, Tuesday, Sept. 23, Driggers allowed The Voice
to have a copy of the two-hour video, but he said the Town will not post any
part of the video on the Town’s social media, website or on You Tube. He said
if anyone wants to see the video, they must bring a storage drive to town hall,
and the video will be copied on to it.
Related:
Conflicting accounts emerge from Manor incident
Coach says she lost thousands in fees after months of paying Manor rental fees
