Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Mullins, SC

A small town in South Carolina is defiantly refusing to remove a Nativity scene from a local market parking lot after the mayor demanded that they do so.

Small Town Refuses To Remove Nativity Scene

Kimberly Byrd, head of the Mullins Beautification Committee in Mullins, South Carolina, told Fox News that this all started around Thanksgiving. It was then that her small town decided that it would be fun to decorate the their brand new marketplace area “like a Hallmark movie” for its first Christmas season. Indeed, they were hoping that this would draw more holiday shoppers to their local businesses.

Paying for the project out of their own pockets, the group spent two weeks putting up various Christmas decorations. Their decorations included a snowman, wreaths, lights, Santa Claus and a small 3-by-4-foot Nativity scene.

The display ended up being nothing short of adorable. That’s why Byrd was stunned to receive a text from Mayor Miko Pickett demanding that she take the Nativity scene down. Mayor Pickett’s reasoning? That some residents have other faiths and beliefs.

Byrd found the demand to be nothing short of shocking.

‘Christ Is Why We Celebrate Christmas…’

“Our small town, we have a church on every corner,” Byrd explained. “It’s a faith-based community in the Bible Belt. I’ve been here 53 years of my life and never heard of anything like this happening here.”

Byrd immediately alerted the rest of the city council about this. Most of them were just as disturbed as she was. They quickly agreed to take a stand with Byrd by refusing to take down the Nativity scene.

“Christ is why we celebrate Christmas,” Byrd said. “I really thought she would probably change her mind or come back and say, ‘I’m sorry, I made a mistake. Let’s have a meeting about this,’ but nothing.”

Mayor Pickett would only release a brief statement about the situation to Facebook. In it, she attempted to clarify her remarks. The mayor claimed that she “requested that the nativity scene be removed solely from the PUBLIC parking area.”

“The reason for this is the separation of Church and State applies to muncipalities as well, regarding religous symbols on public property and parks,” the mayor later added.

‘It’s About The Birth Of Jesus…’

Byrd has vowed that if the mayor or anyone else succeeds in taking the Nativity scene down, she will personally remove all of the other Christmas decorations as well. She wants the world to know that this is how strongly she feels about Christ being at the center of Christmas.

“How are we supposed to explain to our kids that we have to hide our religion, hide our beliefs, and hide what Christmas is about?” Byrd lamented. “Christmas is not about Santa Claus. It’s about the birth of Jesus.”

Byrd concluded by saying that she’s been overwhelmed by the support that’s poured. She’s received support not only from the people of Mullins, but from all over the country. In the end, it’s clear that this has resonated with Christian Americans everywhere.

“I never thought I’d have to do anything like this,” she said. “But at the end of the day, we have to stand for what we believe in and what is right.”

This serves as a reminder that as we head into the week of Christmas, we should never forget the reason for the season. God bless Byrd for taking a stand for Jesus by refusing to take down the Nativity scene!

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - An Upstate woman is behind bars after practicing as a nurse while her license was revoked and stealing oxycodone, according to a release from South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.

According to the release, 40-year-old Elizabeth Schlesinger Mullins, of Piedmont, is being charged with:

According to the release, the charge of theft of a controlled substance is punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

The charge of unlicensed practice as a registered nurse or practical nurse is punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $50,000, the release said.

This comes after an investigation revealed that Mullins knowingly practiced nursing and used the title “Director of Nursing” despite having an active nursing license by the South Carolina Board of Nursing, the release said.

The release states that Mullins was aware that her nursing license had been suspended by order of the board, but she still continued to represent herself as, and perform the duties of, the Director of Nursing at Cherrydale Post Acute in Greenville. The release states this occurred from June 20, 2025, until June 23, 2025.

Her license was revoked on June 18, 2025, according to the suspension order by the South Carolina Board of Nursing.

During her employment, investigators found that Mullins knowingly and intentionally stole a quantity of oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, from another person, with the intent to permanently deprive that person of the medication, the release said.

She was booked into the Greenville County Jail on Dec. 23.

This investigation was a joint effort by the Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) and the South Carolina Department of Health’s Bureau of Drug Control.

This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office, the release said.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with FOX Carolina. For more free content like this, .

Kimberly Byrd, chair of the Mullins Beautification Committee in South Carolina, refused to remove a Nativity scene from the town's new marketplace parking lot despite direct orders from Mayor Miko Pickett who cited separation of church and state concerns. The small 3-by-4-foot manger appeared among wreaths, lights, Santa Claus and a snowman that Byrd's volunteer team funded out of pocket to create a "Hallmark movie" vibe for the downtown area's first Christmas season.

Byrd expressed shock at Pickett's text request, noting Mullins' church-on-every-corner Bible Belt character where she's lived 53 years without such demands. She rallied city council backing and vowed to defend "Christ is why we celebrate Christmas," even threatening to dismantle all decorations if forced to take down Jesus at the center.

Pickett posted on Facebook November 26 insisting the religious symbol violated public property rules while allowing secular items to stay. Byrd countered that erasing faith hides core holiday meaning from kids and dismissed apologies or meetings that never materialized. Councilman Albert Woodberry told ABC15 he supports keeping it through the season as families enjoy the display without issue.

Mayor's Position Vs Committee Resolve

The 1984 Supreme Court Lynch v. Donnelly ruling upheld Nativity scenes in mixed holiday displays including secular symbols, directly paralleling Mullins' setup. Becket religious liberty lawyers awarded Byrd their 2025 "Tiny Tim Toast" this week, praising her "courage to stand up for the Nativity scene" against government religion scrubs. Mark Rienzi, Becket president, called her actions "admirable and patriotic" bringing holiday joy.

Overwhelming local and national support flooded Byrd who never expected the fight but stands firm on beliefs. Pickett emphasized non-religious public spaces but faced no enforcement yet as the scene endures. Byrd questioned explaining faith concealment to children in a town of constant church steeples. Woodberry affirmed kid-friendly viewing rights without problems. No further city moves reported; display bolsters downtown draws.

THE Democratic mayor of a small southern town has sparked nationwide debate after ordering a public decorating committee to remove a nativity scene.

Mayor Miko Pickett caused a massive stir after deciding the small 3-by-4-foot decoration made the city appear “not neutral” on religion.

Residents living in Mullins, South Carolina – a town of just over 4,000 people about two and a half hours north of Charleston – have voiced their shock at the request, as they say signs of the Christmas story are sprinkled throughout the faithful town.

“Our small town, we have a church on every corner,” Kimberly Byrd, the head of the Mullins Beautification Committee, told Fox News.

“It’s a faith-based community in the Bible Belt. I’ve been here 53 years of my life and never heard of anything like this happening here.”

Byrd said that she and her small team gathered a few decorations to try to make the center of their little community look “like a Hallmark movie.”

They wished to spruce up the downtown area and hopefully attract some foot traffic.

After decorating the square, Byrd sent pictures of her handiwork to Pickett, who said everything looked great, save for the light-up nativity scene, text messages shared by the committee leader show.

The scene depicts Joseph and Mary kneeling and praying in front of a baby Jesus, who is lying in a manger.

The decoration was an obvious addition for Byrd, who said, “without the manger there is no Christmas,” ABC affiliate WPDE reported.

However, Pickett felt the issue wasn’t about the reason for the season, but maintaining a separation of church and state, she explained in a statement shared last month.

The mayor wrote, “I requested that the nativity scene be removed solely from the PUBLIC parking area.

“The reason for this is the separation of Church and State applies to muncipalities as well, regarding religous symbols on public property and parks.”

Pickett stressed that private citizens should feel empowered to put up nativity scenes on their properties.

According to the 1984 Supreme Court ruling Lynch v. Donnelly, cities can display a nativity scene on public property if it’s a part of broader holiday decor.

Speaking with the local outlet, councilman Albert Woodberry said that he wishes for the nativity scene to stay put.

“Kids pass here, people come through to see it, so it’s OK. It should not be a problem for it staying up,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pickett has not shared any other statements or comments about her decision.

In texts to Byrd, she said that a majority vote of the council could override her choice if they held an emergency meeting.

The U.S. Sun has reached out to the mayor for any updates on the situation.

A small South Carolina town committee refused to remove a Nativity scene from a market parking lot after the mayor ordered it taken down from public property.

Around Thanksgiving, Kimberly Byrd, head of the Mullins Beautification Committee in Mullins, South Carolina, said her small team decided to decorate the city’s new marketplace area for its first Christmas season "like a Hallmark movie," hoping to draw more customers to the downtown area.

The group spent about two weeks placing decorations they paid for out of their own pockets, including a snowman, wreaths, lights, Santa Claus and a small 3-by-4-foot Nativity scene. Byrd said she later received a text from Mayor Miko Pickett asking her to remove the Nativity scene, citing concerns about residents of other faiths and beliefs in the community.

Byrd said the mayor’s request stunned her.

"Our small town, we have a church on every corner," Byrd told Fox News Digital. "It’s a faith-based community in the Bible Belt. I’ve been here 53 years of my life and never heard of anything like this happening here."

Byrd said she received support from some city council members to keep the display in place and decided to take a stand by vowing to keep the Nativity scene where it was.

"Christ is why we celebrate Christmas," Byrd said. "I really thought she would probably change her mind or come back and say, ‘I’m sorry, I made a mistake. Let’s have a meeting about this,’ but nothing."

In a statement posted to Facebook on Nov. 26, Pickett said she asked only that the Nativity scene be removed from the public parking area, arguing that a religious symbol on public property violated the "separation of church and state."

Byrd said if the mayor or city council ultimately removes the Nativity scene, she would take down the other Christmas decorations as well, because she feels strongly about keeping Jesus Christ at the center of the holiday.

"How are we supposed to explain to our kids that we have to hide our religion, hide our beliefs, and hide what Christmas is about?" Byrd said. "Christmas is not about Santa Claus. It’s about the birth of Jesus."

Byrd said she has received overwhelming support from within and outside the community.

"I never thought I’d have to do anything like this," she said. "But at the end of the day, we have to stand for what we believe in and what is right."

Pickett did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

In the 1984 U.S. Supreme Court case, Lynch v. Donnelly, the court ruled in a 5-4 decision that a Nativity scene displayed by a Rhode Island city did not violate the establishment clause when it was part of a broader holiday display that included secular symbols.

Mullins councilman Albert Woodberry told ABC15 News he has not spoken with the mayor about the issue but believes the Nativity scene should remain.

"Yes, I’d like for it to stay until the season’s over with," Woodberry said. "Kids pass here, people come through to see it, so it’s OK. It should not be a problem for it staying up."

Becket, a religious liberty law firm, awarded Byrd its 2025 "Tiny Tim Toast" award this week, inspired by the "A Christmas Carol" character, for her actions.

"In the face of increasing government efforts to scrub religion from public life, we should all strive to be like Kimberly Byrd," Mark Rienzi, president of Becket, said. "Her courage to stand up for the Nativity scene was admirable and patriotic. We’re happy to raise a hearty toast to Kimberly and others like her who have kept the faith and brought a little more joy to this holiday season."

Original article source: ‘It’s about the birth of Jesus’: South Carolina town committee defies mayor, keeps Nativity scene up