September 24, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
Dr. Denise Dingle still holds the position of County Medical Examiner.
The DeKalb County Commission, during Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, failed to muster the 8 votes needed to uphold a 90-day suspension of Dr. Dingle as medical examiner by County Mayor Matt Adcock due to alleged “uncooperative and unprofessional” conduct.
The vote was 6 to 6. Those voting to uphold the suspension were commissioners Larry Green, Tom Chandler, Mathias Anderson, Glynn Merriman, Jeff Barnes, and Sabrina Farler. Those voting against upholding the suspension were commissioners Greg Matthews, Myron Rhody, Beth Pafford, Andy Pack, Daniel Cripps, and Tony (Cully) Culwell. Two members were absent, Susannah Cripps and Tony Luna.
The proposal, as recommended by the county’s health, education, and public welfare committee only a week ago, was for the county commission to uphold the suspension of Dr. Dingle and then for her to be terminated after 90 days and replaced by Dr. Caleb Cantrell as both medical examiner and medical director for a total of $2,000 per month. When he suspended Dr. Dingle as medical examiner in July, County Mayor Adcock also terminated her as medical director, a separate position, and named Dr. Cantrell to succeed her in that role. The county had been paying Dr. Dingle, as a contracted service, $5,000 a year as medical director and $100 per body as medical examiner. According to statistics, the county averages 50-60 bodies per year in which a medical examiner/coroner’s report is needed.
Concerns about the medical examiner position were first raised several months ago during county commission workshops after complaints that the office, in some cases, was not providing a timely response to on scene deaths causing delays in investigations before the removal of a body.
During the public comment period Monday night, eight people spoke in support of Dr. Dingle including two who have worked with her, Aspen Flarity, a critical care paramedic and medical death investigator and Trevin Merriman, a paramedic and medical death investigator who served as Dr. Dingle’s deputy medical examiner.
“I trusted her decision making and her leadership,” said Merriman. “At her request, I wrote a policies and procedures manual for the DeKalb County Medical Examiners’ Office because there was not one. Dr. Dingle liked it and we presented it to the mayor’s office and to this date we don’t still have a policy and procedures manual for the ME’S office. I stepped down in late 2023 as deputy ME because I felt the ME’s office was not getting support from the county it needed,” said Merriman
“I have worked in multiple counties, and I can state for a fact that Dr. Dingle is the best medical director I have worked for,” said Flarity. “She was always one phone call away whether it be if we were actively on a call or after a call. Dr Dingle has done this for many years and is highly knowledgeable”.
Dr. Dingle then addressed the commission.
“I have been a resident of DeKalb County since September 1991 which is over 33 years and that’s longer than I have been a resident anywhere else,” said Dr. Dingle. “I have been a medical doctor since May 1982, and I was in the military at that time. I served almost 14 years in the military where I was a physician until September 1991 when I came to DeKalb County. I have been the Medical Director since 2013 and the Medical Examiner since August 2021 following the death of Dr. J.C. Wall and my term is not due to expire until August 2026,” she said.
“I think it says a lot that not one single person who works with me or under my license has ever lodged a single complaint against me as the medical examiner or medical director except for Matt Adcock. You have also heard no complaint against me as either your medical examiner or medical director from any law enforcement official. The only person against me is Matt Adcock and I believe he is upset because as a woman, I have directed comments to him that I have thought would help him in his service as an EMT. I provided first correction when he made a mistake that I was concerned that it might cause him to lose his EMT license. I explained why and the second one was due to the fact that I had witnessed on several occasions that he had fairly aggressive behavior and after several of them, I am afraid I did lose my patience, and I began to speak to him as one individual would say in military speak. I apologize that I used a different language, and I apologize that you were offended by it,” Dr. Dingle continued.
“I stand behind everything my office has done for the citizens of DeKalb County, both as the medical examiner and the medical director. You do not have to follow the mayor’s failed leadership. I wish to continue to serve this county as your medical examiner and I ask that you vote to allow me to do this but even in the event that you choose not to allow me to continue ask yourselves at a time when we are having to raise taxes in order to build a new school and the justice center, both which I want you to know I stand behind and I feel we need, you are also asking the taxpayers to increase taxes to pay for a new medical director and medical examiner which will be two to three times more than what you currently pay me and what I believe you paid Dr. JC Wall. I trust that you will all make the right decision and the just decision,” said Dr. Dingle.
In a brief statement, Dr. Dingle’s attorney Jon Slager said “Thank you to all of the people that came out in support of Dr. Dingle at the commission meeting. Your statements in support of Dr. Dingle made a difference. Thank you to the commissioners that voted in favor of Dr. Dingle. I know she will continue to work diligently as the medical examiner for DeKalb County. There are too many serious issues facing this county to play divisive politics. I hope we have seen the last chapter of that book,” he said.