UPDATED: Report reveals Walton EOC director Barker resigned after improper relationship

DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Walton County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Mike Barker resigned earlier this month after he was accused of an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate female employee.

Barker, who also was director of the county’s Emergency Operations Center, resigned Aug. 6. The Sheriff’s Office originally said he quit to pursue other career opportunities; there was no mention of the misconduct investigation that was under way at the time.

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The internal investigation’s report was completed Wednesday. It said Barker had an “inappropriate relationship” with a subordinate employee that he failed to report to a supervisor. Barker violated agency policy and would have been fired if he had not resigned.

The investigation began Aug. 3, when the woman told a sheriff’s lieutenant that Barker had sexually harassed her and “forced” her to have a sexual relationship with him by using his authority as her supervisor, according to the report. She showed “inappropriate” text messages from Barker as evidence.

They went on trips together and she stayed at Barker’s house on weekends, the report said. She continued the relationship because she wanted to keep her job. Soon after the first time she turned down his advances, she was demoted.

She said she felt she was a victim of a “witch hunt” and that she was demoted over “insignificant occurrences” that wouldn’t normally merit a demotion, the report said.

The Sheriff’s Office used the woman’s cell phone and receipts from a motel to corroborate her allegations, the report said.

She filed the complaint Aug. 5 and Barker was placed on administrative leave. He resigned the following day.

Barker could not be reached for comment.

The complaint stated that the woman’s relationship with Barker lasted five to six months and continued in “infrequent interludes” until the woman began a new relationship, said Sheriff’s Office Capt. Shepard Bruner. The complaint stated Barker wanted the meetings to continue but the woman did not.

“Law enforcement should be and are held to a higher standard than other individuals,” Walton County Sheriff Mike Adkinson said. “This is not personal, it’s business.”

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Mike Barker, former director of the Walton County Emergency Operations Center, did not resign to pursue career opportunities, but because he’d been caught having a sexual relationship with a subordinate.

An investigative report to be released later today will shed light on the findings of the Sheriff’s Office, said agency Capt. Shepard Bruner.

Basically, the report will state that “a complaint charging an improper relationship,” was made against Barker, Bruner said.

Sheriff Mike Adkinson interviewed Barker after being made aware of the complaint and Barker resigned after the meeting.

On Friday Aug. 6, Bruner announced Barker had resigned to pursue other career opportunities.

Barker was asked to resign based on the accumulation of information, including text messages, that made it clear a relationship had occurred, Bruner said. That was enough evidence for Adkinson to request a resignation.

“Barker was in a direct supervisory capacity over the employee. We don’t allow that,” Bruner said.

The subordinate officer’s complaint said that her relationship with Barker lasted approximately five or six months and then continued in “infrequent interludes” until the woman began a new relationship, Bruner said.

The complaint stated Barker wanted the interludes to continue, but the woman did not, Bruner said.