Snellville has been dogged by near-constant infighting between the mayor and members of city council for several years.

But Phyllis Moreland-Richardson’s attorneys say the city clerk’s lawsuit against members of city council is not about the bad blood among elected officials. It’s about race.

Moreland-Richardson is Snellville’s first black city clerk, and the first black person appointed to an executive position in the city government, her attorneys said. At a rally, activists said her situation could shine a light on other racial disparities in the city.

Moreland-Richardson filed a federal lawsuit Oct. 21 alleging council members and Snellville’s city manager prevented her from accessing the tools she needed to do her job.

“It has not been easy,” she said. “Many days, I cried in my office behind closed doors.”

To read more about her claims, click here.