REVEALED: Georgia lawmaker who passed out in the street SUES county that fired her claiming she got spiked by a date rape drug – despite cops saying she was drunk and high
The Georgia commissioner, who police found apparently drunk and passed out on the sidewalk outside a sports bar, has sued her employers for firing her.
Clayton County fired Board of Commissioners Vice Chair Felicia Franklin after the September incident in Morrow in which she lashed out at medics was captured on shocking bodycam footage.
But Franklin told DailyMail.com she is filing a lawsuit against her former employer, claiming she was drugged.
Her lawsuit says her “evening took a turn for the worse” and that she was found “crying and clearly in a vulnerable position” when police arrived.
Franklin said the “traumatic and unfortunate incident” occurred after she was “drugged with a ‘date rape’ drug,” in her court documents.
Commissioner Felicia Franklin was found unconscious on the street by officers in September
Footage from inside the bar appears to show Franklin being served drinks and dancing
The bodycam video showed police finding Franklin on the ground outside the 404 Sports Bar and Grill in Morrow.
It shows her screaming and crying and at one point shouting ‘I don’t know what they gave me’ before she starts swearing at the emergency services.
Medical staff arrived on the scene and had to strap her to an ambulance bed and restrain her hands as she became increasingly violent.
At other times she would shout at them to ‘get the f*** out of my face’ and ask them to get her mother.
When an officer told her, “Ma’am, you’re about to go to jail,” she replied, “I don’t care, just get him out of my face.”
Paramedics eventually manage to get her to hospital, where she is transferred to a bed and becomes even more distressed, calling for her mother.
Franklin was voted out of her position as vice chairman in late October
Franklin posted on Facebook that it was “suspected” she had been drugged with a GHB pill
In the video, her friend can be heard saying that she had recently been sick with a sinus infection and was taking medication.
After the video emerged, Franklin was voted out of her position as vice chairman on October 23, with Chairman Jeff Turner saying: ‘The video spoke for itself. What more can we say?
“We represent the citizens of Clayton County, and we need to make sure we present ourselves in a way that our citizens will be proud of us.”
Franklin reportedly called the move illegal during the meeting to vote her out, and said she would run for the seat of board chair.
She posted on Facebook: “Today two of my political opponents are holding a special meeting to replace me as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors with another Commissioner.
“This move from them will free up more of my time a month early so that I can fully commit to being elected chairman so that we can finally move our province forward.”
In the days following the incident, she said she had had a “very traumatic and unfortunate experience,” posting on Facebook:Medical professionals believe I was drugged with a GHB pill, commonly known as the “date rape pill,” and this incident has shocked me to my core.
“I will work closely with authorities to ensure justice is served, and I will also advocate for better security measures at events like these.”
“No one should have to go through what I went through, and I want to thank you all for your support during this challenging time.”
Police checked her identity card to determine who she was
They had to help her off the floor and onto a stretcher before loading her into an ambulance
Officers managed to load her into the ambulance and restrained her hands with straps
But Sgt. Scott Stewart of the Morrow Police Department told Fox 5, “We found no evidence to support that she was in fact drugged with GHB.”
They said they watched a video of Franklin walking into the 404 Sports Bar & Grill alone and ordering several drinks. They added: ‘She probably drank 3.5 drinks out of 4 drinks, and then a swig of beer.’
Police allege that surveillance footage showed Franklin had three “That’s a home run” drinks containing 40-proof Hennessy and Grand Marnier, a glass of wine and then a swig of someone else’s beer.
Video interviews with police show the moment police confront her with receipts and tell her she had more than the two drinks she claimed.
She replied, “I didn’t have five drinks… I had five drinks? I don’t remember having five drinks.’
When police showed her the bar’s receipt, she said, “I didn’t even order food, other people had this, I didn’t drink that.”
Investigators said they could find no evidence that anyone had tampered with her drinks and claimed a toxicology report found cannabis in her system.
At one point she became very upset and turned on some medical professionals
At one point in the hospital, Franklin called out for her mother
When Franklin was interviewed by police, she said she did not remember drinking five drinks
Stewart said: ‘She refused a blood test, but she did undergo a urinalysis, which turned up positive for cannabinoids, also known as cannabis.’
Sergeant Stewart told DailyMail.com that the case was ‘closed’ and that paramedics had decided not to press charges.
The 404 Sports Bar and Grill shared a statement saying, “We assure you that the safety and well-being of our customers has always been and will remain our top priority.
“The recent police investigation was an unfortunate and unforeseen event, but we are grateful for the quick response and thorough investigation conducted by the authorities. We are pleased to inform you that the issue has been resolved.