Sounds like Leland is continuing with its illegal practices. Generally, employee hiring procedures are governed by numerous statutes to protect against discrimination and unfair practices. To ensure compliance with all federal and state regulations, employers should establish an appropriate, standardized Selection Procedure to be followed every time an employee is hired. Using a legitimate job recruitment method to mask hiring persons favored by certain members of Council has definitely got to be illegal. Even if a desired candidate is exceptionally qualified, manipulation of the hiring system is usually illegal as a personnel practice when done to help or harm a particular candidate. In addition to this it sounds like the Town of Leland has made it a practice to terminate employees just because the political powers that be didn’t like them for some reason. Maybe someone needs to file a complaint with the state's department of labor or workforce development commission since there could be an issue of preferential hiring.