The administrator of the Beaufort County Detention Center has been dismissed.

Chief Detention Officer Catrena Ross was relieved from her duties by Sheriff Ernie Coleman during a meeting Monday morning.

Ross said her dismissal was not entirely unexpected, but it was immediate — after Ross met with Coleman, two deputies escorted her to her office to help her remove her belongings.

Ross said she was told her dismissal was a question of loyalty to Sheriff Ernie Coleman. Coleman, however, said that was not the case, but declined to comment further.

“For any allegations from past employees involving my integrity or the integrity of the office will be answered. However, out of respect for past employees and personnel privacy, in this case, I won’t be making any statements about the termination of Ms. Ross. However, if Ms. Ross would come to my office and sign a waiver of release of information, I would be more than willing to discuss with the media and/or the public, the many reasons for her termination,” Coleman said.

Coleman said he intends to hire a sworn officer, and a direct link in the sheriff’s office chain of command, to replace Ross, as opposed to a civilian.

Ross began her career as a regular detention officer and worked her way up to captain and jail administrator in her 15 years at the Beaufort County facility, earning her associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice along the way. She served on the board of the North Carolina Jail Administrators’ Association and was often called upon to talk about conditions in Beaufort County Courthouse’s basement jail, advocating for a new jail, or at least an improved one.

Ross said she is considering her options for future employment.

“When you get fired, you expect to get fired for real reasons, not for loyalty,” Ross said. “Right now, I don’t know what my next step is. I’m just taking it one day at a time.”