Former Coast RTA CEO Rollins files suit against Coast agency

June 17--Ousted Coast RTA CEO Myers Rollins filed a lawsuit in Horry County District Court Tuesday morning against the Waccamaw Regional Transit Authority, which does business locally as Coast RTA.

Rollins was abruptly fired April 30 at the start of Coast RTA's meeting after an executive session was called at the start of the meeting.

Some have tied his firing to the failed bus shelter program where Coast was awarded a $1 million grant in 2005 to erect more than 60 shelters and bus signs throughout the county. When the transit did not make significant progress, the S.C. Department of Transportation pulled the plug on the program in 2013 and subsequently asked for $324,000 in reimbursement for some equipment that had already been installed.

Rollins is still receiving paychecks through the end of June, and received a severance package that equals four months of his $134,500 annual salary, plus payment of up to 60 days of any unused vacation or sick days.

The former practicing attorney crafted most of his contract himself and negotiated the insurance package in which Coast will be using to defend itself in the lawsuit.

Coast RTA officials did not return a call for comment by 1:45 p.m. Tuesday.

This is the second chief executive fired from the transit in 10 years. Former chief Benedict Shogaolu pleaded guilty to three felony public-corruptions charges in 2006. He was fired from Coast in 2004 after an investigation by the agency's board showed he misspent public money, mistreated employees and possibly violated state and federal laws.

Read Wednesday's The Sun News for more on this story.

Contact JASON M. RODRIGUEZ at 626-0301 or on Twitter @TSN_JRodriguez.

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