GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. -- Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes spoke out after he says 28 current employees were dismissed by sheriff-elect Danny Rogers.

  • Barnes says some of those fired are retired call-backs.
  • Barnes said Rogers delivered the letters to his office and he had to hand them out to employees. 
  • Rogers was expected to be sworn in Monday afternoon.

"This is 28 people whose lives have been changed now. Now, granted some of them are retired call-backs, about 10 of them are, but the long and short of it is those others that are on there. This is their livelihood, this is their life," Barnes said. 

Sheriff-elect Danny Rogers released the following statement:

"The number of full-time permanent employees that were terminated was 14...less than 1 percent of his department...The remainder were only part-time personnel, most of whom retired and was only working a few hours per week at their convenience."

Barnes said Rogers delivered the letters to his office and he had to hand them out to employees. 

"He delivered letters to us to deliver to the people who are not going to be given... A cowardly way out to say the least," he added. 

Rogers said employees should not be worried.

"Our administration, in concert with the 600-plus men and women who remain, will be fine," his statement read. 

Rogers was expected to be sworn in Monday afternoon.