BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — The following statement is shared to provide clarity, transparency, and context regarding recent personal, professional, and civic challenges faced by longtime Blythewood community member Fred W. Layman III. The statement outlines his health journey, service to the Town of Blythewood, leadership efforts at Doko Manor, and his perspective on recent events that have drawn public attention.
Mr. Layman has served the community in multiple capacities over the past decade and has been actively involved in strengthening local programs, improving operational systems, and supporting community-driven events. This statement is offered in the spirit of openness, accountability, and respect for the residents of Blythewood, with the goal of sharing facts, acknowledging challenges, and reaffirming a continued commitment to integrity, service, and due process.
Dear Friends,
If you’re reading this, please know that my family and I care for you and respect you deeply, and we are grateful for your support and prayers.
As you know, I’ve faced significant challenges with my throat cancer diagnosis and treatments—many more than even my doctors expected, as the tumor grew tremendously fast. The road to recovery has been more arduous than I anticipated, and I’ve spent substantial time in and out of the hospital since September.
I also want to share that my wife, my beautiful partner, suffered a heart attack on September 11 at Doko Manor. From that event, she has faced a new cardiac concern, and her care has required ongoing hospitalization and treatment. She is scheduled to undergo surgery on December 19 with her heart surgeon. Please keep us in your prayers as we navigate these difficult days.
When I accepted the role of Director of Operations for Doko Manor, I learned there was a substantial deficit year after year. In fact, it was a loss of over one million yearly over the past decade. I took this position because I could build programs from the ground up and guide this facility through a critical transition. In addition to the core responsibilities, I was assigned tasks that had previously been handled by large committees organized by the Chamber of Commerce, including coordinating the town tree lighting and Christmas parade. I approached these with a commitment to make them meaningful and successful, even with very short notice.
As mentioned, my first tree lighting and Christmas parade in 2024 were organized with just weeks’ notice, and they were tremendous successes thanks to many hours of coordination. After a 30/60/90-day due diligence and onboarding process, I documented the fiscal calendar of events and began outlining the systems we needed to implement. It became clear that five months into the fiscal calendar, there were almost no outside events booked. Literally only about $10,000 of the $225,000 budget had been committed by the approved budget. The marketing systems in place were broken. I’ve been fortunate to work closely with Daniel Stines, the Town Administrator, whose respect for my independence allowed me to apply my marketing and operational skills to move us forward very quickly.
During my time overseeing community events, I want to clearly state that the major events held in 2024 were managed responsibly and within budget. This included the two Purple Heart ceremonies, the Christmas Parade, and the Tree Lighting Ceremony. All of these events were completed not only within the approved budget but, in several cases, under budget due to the support of generous sponsors I worked to secure.
Those sponsorships allowed us to enhance each event without placing additional financial strain on the town. There was no overspending, no misuse of funds, and no deviation from approved financial guidelines. Instead, the community benefited from well-organized, meaningful celebrations that honored our town’s values and brought residents together.
I remain grateful to the sponsors, volunteers, and community members who contributed their time, resources, and support to make these events successful. Their involvement helped ensure these moments were both fiscally responsible and memorable for Blythewood.
A crucial part of my efforts has been to upgrade our operations with a new software system and build a front-facing website that enables real-time event visibility and payments. I was tasked to integrate modern financial technologies into software, including Cash App, PayPal, Stripe, and Venmo, to streamline costs and improve the financial reporting health of Doko Manor and the Town of Blythewood. Believe it or not, they are still using a software platform built when it opened, which is totally different and doesn’t talk to the outdated QuickBooks the town uses to date.
On top of the monstrous pressure already in place, I know most of you are aware that I was assigned by Daniel Stines (former town administrator) and Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock to oversee and document any misuse of amenities by the Mayor. As a new employee, this responsibility had put a lot of pressure on me, and I want to be transparent about that. I loved the mayor and tried to steer him in the right direction on many occasions. He refused because his agenda is massive and fundamental. Power!
Many of you are already familiar with the situation and the challenges it has created in our town. My intention has never been to target anyone personally, but to fulfill the role I was given as fairly and professionally as possible. The information I provided to the town attorney, SC Ethics Commission, and the town council was then forwarded to the media, who requested the FOIA. They found more than 14 documented concerns, totaling over $100,000 in revenue loss.
This has probably affected how some of you see me, and possibly how you feel about me. I understand that, and I don’t take it lightly. I was committed to doing my job with integrity, respect, and honesty, and I appreciate the patience and understanding you’ve shown while I navigated this challenging position.
I’m sharing this to be transparent about the challenges we faced at Doko Manor and the progress we made. When I arrived, I faced constraints I could not change, such as payroll limits, a fixed budget, and an UNmotivated, very mediocre staff already in place. Yet I believed in the value of thoughtful, community-centered programming. I poured my energy into revamping operations, drawing on the marketing skills I had acquired over the years, with the sole aim of serving Blythewood more effectively. I am proud of what we may be able to achieve together: introducing new events, such as dance, cheer, yoga, and martial arts, on the horizon to help revitalize programming during perishable downtimes, and the positive impact these efforts would have on residents who found moments of connection and growth in the programs.
While dealing with $30K/month in revenue and still short by about $70K, I realized that these events would take time to build, but we had to start somewhere because our primary dates were booked. There are only so many Saturday nights in June for a wedding. We needed to fill perishable Manor time, like every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, 6 am-10 PM.
I started doing this with my daughter’s future cheer coach. A person who I thought had the same dedication to building something reasonably priced for girls ages 5-15. After approval from the town administrator, we set a competitive rate for use of the Manor during off-peak times to build revenue streams. I realized early on that our software systems were not well-suited to this type of programming, as coaches could not pay until players paid, and they seldom came in during business hours, Monday through Friday. For many years before me, the town allowed soccer and football programs to pay monthly, quarterly, and even yearly. Allowing the coach to only pay for the time used. The cheer coach used every excuse in the book to avoid paying on time, and, in my desire to make this work, I agreed to accept payment via Cash App. Over 10 months, I received $3,000 in Cash App payments, paying the town roughly $1,000 for that and leaving $2,000 in escrow. The town was not paid the full amount because it canceled some dates, and I was determined to confirm with the coach exactly what the inventory was. The coach agreed to meet with me after my surgery to coordinate exactly what was paid to Cash App, what was used at the indoor center, and what was used at the amphitheater, so that all parties were paid accordingly. I had a fiduciary responsibility to the town, the coach, and the program’s parents.
Because of this $2000, I am being politically prosecuted.
Again, my wife came in with a check and the documents explaining what was owed, and when they refused those, I also sent $3k in a cashier’s check, but they have yet to cash it. The town has NEVER refused a check. They have accepted checks years late and turned a blind eye to tens of thousands of staff mistakes.
Where is the outrage about the mayor’s misappropriation of town funds for a Christmas party for his friends ($16 K), over $100 K (half of Doko Manor’s budgeted revenue), misuse of amenities, $20 K to his friend? $10 K to the Sheriff? All the lives he has ruined. The list will continue.
Because of my months-long cancer coma, I have recently learned from the coach’s claims that she spent $10,000. I know this figure is not even close to accurate. Video and software records will show the coach’s visits totaling about 22 instances, which align with approximately $4,000 in total. On September 11, I offered this assessment in writing to the town, and my wife dropped off the documents and the check for the balance. We all know what happened next. My wife was accosted and held against her will, having a heart attack.
The Cheer coaches’ programs did not produce those types of numbers for the Manor, but she used Richland County Park and Recreation many times. We will prove she was only there 20ish times, not 50.
I learned today that a warrant was sworn out for my arrest. I am turning myself in with a feeding tube and an IV. I am scared to death as I will have to go without feeding my tube for at least five hours. I am committed to transparency and will rely on the court and official records to establish the facts. I welcome appropriate inquiries via email or phone. I will plead NOT GUILTY and will cooperate with investigators as needed.
I am turning myself in as a victim of political retaliation and stand on my ten-year record in the community, my faith, and the truth. Throughout my community service in Blythewood, I have personally contributed funds and time to support our town and community organizations, including the Windermere Club, to ensure payroll and essential services were maintained for our residents and members. I will make sure to provide documentation through the proper channels as appropriate these fatcs about my character. This has been a difficult period for my family, and my priority remains to uncover the truth, heal my wife and family, and watch this town prosper after the incredible disservice our mayor has inflicted on its future.
Please pray for me, my wife, and my seven children.
With gratitude and respect,
