U.S. Army Reserve Command Sgt. Maj. Dwayne Coffer (U.S. Army photo)
WARRENTON, North Carolina — The U.S. Department of Justice has, once again, sued the Warren County Board of Education in North Carolina over its treatment of a military reservist.
U.S. attorneys said the complaint, filed Wednesday, is meant to protect the rights guaranteed to U.S. Army Reserve Command Sgt. Maj. Dwayne Coffer, by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, 1994 legislation signed into law by former President Bill Clinton.
They allege that the Warren school system stripped Coffer of his position as dean of students at Warren County Middle School in the summer of 2017 while he was away for about five weeks of active duty. Instead of putting him back in the job, the system offered him a position as a gym teacher.
The 1994 law protects the rights of uniformed service members to retain their civilian jobs following absences because of military service obligations, officials in U.S. Attorney Robert Higdon's office said.
Earlier this month a tip landed in the inbox for Task & Purpose's Facebook page claiming that a Marine at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, allegedly set fire to an infantry battalion's headquarters.
"And it was intentional," wrote the tipster. "And it apparently is because of op tempo and being annoyed with their command."
The former Army officer behind possibly one of the most absurd legal advertisements in history will now preside over a small segment of the U.S. justice system.
A military vehicle was mistakenly dropped from a plane over Harnett County on Wednesday, but no person or property was damaged, according to Fort Bragg officials.
