A Yazoo County resident says she was treated poorly by District 3 Supervisor Willie “Deuce” Wright after calling for help with a problem.
Wright said he attempted to help her, but she became belligerent when he told her the county could only clear the road and was unable to do any work on private property.
He said she started using profanity against him when he told her he could not grant her request. Wright admits that he used his share of profanity in his response, and added that he “meant every word.”
Sharlett Haymer said she called for help because heavy rainfall was causing hills to wash out near her home.
“I suggested in a certain way that he should fix it as I saw fit since I’ve been living there for 30-plus years, and he just spazzed out,” Haymer said. “He went crazy.”
Haymer asked if she could share Wright’s exact words.
“Is it profanity,” asked Board President Cobie Collins.
“It’s a lot of profanity,” Wright said. “And I say from my heart, that there’s a way a woman should talk to a man and a way a man should talk to a woman. That doesn’t give anyone the right to talk to no man any kind of way.”
“As a professional you should be able to handle any kind of citizens,” Haymer said.
“Not when they’re talking to me like that,” Wright said.
Wright said he wasn’t about to just stand there and be talked to in such a manner.
“It’s wrong for anyone to feel like they can talk to an elected official - any man - like she talked to me the other day,” Wright said.
Haymer said Wright also had unkind things to say when she suggested she would report his behavior to the mayor of Yazoo City.
Wright agreed that he did indeed have some strong thoughts on the subject.
“The mayor is not my boss, and there ain’t nobody here that’s my boss,” Wright said. “What I said to you, I meant that.”
“I don’t think it was right the way he handled me Mr. Cobie,” Haymer said to Collins, who was attempting to move on to the next item on the agenda.
“Cobie’s not my boss,” Wright said.
“I appreciate you coming, but Willie is telling you the truth,” Collins said. “He is elected like everyone else around this table.”
“So elected officials have the right to disrespect citizens,” Haymer asked.
“I’m not saying that,” Collins said.
“You don’t have the right to disrespect elected officials,” Wright said.
“I did not disrespect you,” Haymer said. “I came to you with all due respect.”
“You did at first,” Wright responded.
Wright said the argument began when he informed her of the limitations of what the county could do.
“When there’s a mudslide, all we can do is remove the mudslide,” Wright said. “We cannot disturb a hill. All we can do is to make sure the road is open. Our job is to open the road.”
Haymer said Wright told her he runs the city and he’s the most powerful man in the city.
“That’s the biggest lie ever told,” Wright responded. “For you to come here and lie like that...Keep on lying.”
“You haven’t heard the end of this,” Haymer said as she left the boardroom.
