Sausilito, Calif., lawyer Charles Bonner provides the news media with Bank of America branch manager Brandy Tate's version of events on Monday outside the Floyd Baker Blvd. office. It has been said that the “truth shall set you free.”

Believing she has been made the scapegoat in a controversy involving the removal of American flags placed in front of Bank of America’s Floyd Baker Boulevard location, branch manager Brandy Tate with the help of family friend and Sausilito, Calif., lawyer Charles Bonner, broke her silence Monday, giving her account about an issue now receiving national attention.

“Ms. Tate has been falsely accused of being unpatriotic and un- American, and of failing to honor Christopher Fowlkes,” Bonner said while surrounded by dozens of Tate’s friends and family. “The bank has thrown her under the bus and has used her as a scapegoat, claiming she misunderstood bank policy and made an error in judgment.”

Local resident Brenda Earls had been placing the flags along West Floyd Baker Boulevard on Sept. 15 in honor of Lance Cpl. Chris Fowlkes, a local Marine who died from injuries suffered in Afghanistan. According to Earls, she was told by Tate the flags were removed because of the bank’s corporate policy.

Bank of America quickly apologized following the incident, terming it a “misunderstanding.”

“We want to ensure the community knows how deeply proud we are of the men and women who have sacrificed so much in service to our country,” said Kim Wilkerson, S.C. president for Bank of America in a prepared statement in the days following the incident. “The bank does fly the American flag at our locations throughout the country and flags were displayed in front of our banking center in Gaffney the evening prior to our dedicated Marine returning home. We deeply apologize for any misunderstandings.”

Within hours of speaking with Earls, Tate discussed the issue with BOA officials, gaining approval to place the flags outside the banking institution’s Floyd Baker Boulevard office, Bonner said.

“She was initially never informed of the reason for placing the flags on bank property, but as she stated at the time, even if she had been told of the reason for the flags, she was obligated to first obtain approval, because as the policy states: ‘displaying U.S. flags must be approved by your consumer marker management,’“ Bonner said. “Later that day when the bank was told the flags were for the processions to honor the slain Marine, Ms. Tate did obtain permission to display the flags, and she personally went and purchased flags with her own money and displayed the flags.”

However, it has done nothing to slow the flow of verbal attacks, hate emails and death threats. Bonner and others at the press conference like Cherokee County NAACP president Jessie Mae Manning blame BOA, believing it has turned its back on Tate by denying there is a bank policy regarding flags and other displays on the bank’s private property.

“She doesn’t own the bank and doesn’t make the policy,” Manning said. “It’s her job to follow the rules, she shouldn’t get the blame ... she’s only an employee.”

“The bank has betrayed her by stating ‘There is no such policy,’” Bonner said.

According to a policy Bonner claims Tate distributed to bank employees after speaking with Earls:

— BOA does not allow outside community displays, other than corporate approved sponsorship materials to be displayed within customer view;

— Other flags such as city or county municipalities, commemorative, military/patriotic, irregular size U.S. flags or special interest group flags must be approved by your consumer market management;

— The size of the bank’s approved U.S. flag standard is 5’ x 8’.

According to Bonner, the flags placed outside of the bank would not have been allowed on the premises, unless approval was granted.

“The flags that were placed without permission were of irregular size and their purpose was unknown,” Bonner said. “It is not Ms. Tate who has acted dishonorably in this matter. It is Bank Of America who did not clear up the matter and did not defend the loyalty and correct behavior of an employee who had, and still has, the best interest of the bank at heart.”

Tate was not at the press conference, advised by Bonner and other friends and family to stay away for her own safety.