By Michael Phillips | VABayNews
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A high-profile criminal case involving a prominent Charlotte craft brewery has sent shockwaves through North Carolina’s business and legal communities, raising difficult questions about accountability, corporate governance, and how institutions respond when personal misconduct collides with public trust.
Earlier this month, Sarah Taylor, co-founder of Sycamore Brewing, filed for divorce from her husband and business partner Justin Tawse Brigham, less than a month after his arrest on multiple felony charges involving alleged sexual crimes against a minor.
The divorce filing, submitted January 8 in Mecklenburg County Superior Court, follows Brigham’s December 11 arrest in Stanly County, where he remains held at the Stanly County Detention Center.
Serious Charges, Swift Personal Fallout
According to court records, Brigham faces more than a dozen felony charges, including statutory sex offenses involving a child under 15, sexual exploitation of a minor, solicitation of a child by computer, and assault inflicting serious bodily injury. Prosecutors allege the crimes involve a 13-year-old girl and include burglary-related offenses.
Taylor’s filing states the couple separated immediately upon Brigham’s arrest after she learned of what the complaint describes as “horrific allegations.” The two married in 2008 and share one child, born in 2016.
In her divorce petition, Taylor is seeking post-separation support, alimony, child support, equitable distribution of marital assets, and attorney’s fees, citing marital misconduct, abandonment, and Brigham’s incarceration as grounds. She also requests a lump-sum child support payment from Brigham’s estate, arguing his detention leaves him unable to earn income.
A Fast-Moving Business Reckoning
The criminal case has also triggered a rapid and highly visible reckoning for Sycamore Brewing, once among North Carolina’s largest and fastest-growing craft beer operations.
Founded in 2013, the brewery expanded aggressively throughout the Southeast and became a cornerstone of Charlotte’s South End district. But following Brigham’s arrest, Taylor moved quickly to sever ties.
Brigham has had “zero involvement” in the company since December, according to filings and public statements. On the same day Taylor filed for divorce, the company changed its legal name to Club West Brewing, with Taylor listed as the sole managing member in state records.
The fallout has been severe:
- Sycamore’s South End taproom closed indefinitely on January 5 for what Taylor described as “healing and reimagining.”
- The brewery lost its presence at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
- Plans for a family-oriented location in the Cotswold Village Shopping Center were scrapped.
- Retail distribution reportedly dropped sharply in the days following the arrest.
Accountability Beyond the Courtroom
While Brigham is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the case underscores a broader reality: reputational damage does not wait for verdicts. For businesses built on community trust, especially those branded as “family-friendly,” allegations of this nature can be existential.
From a center-right perspective, the situation highlights the importance of clear lines between personal conduct and corporate control — and the necessity of swift, transparent action when those lines are crossed. Taylor’s moves to remove Brigham, rebrand the company, and protect her child reflect a decisive response that many in the business community see as unavoidable under the circumstances.
At the same time, the case raises uncomfortable questions about how much oversight, if any, exists in closely held private companies when founders wield unchecked authority.
An Uncertain Path Forward
Whether Club West Brewing can survive the scandal remains an open question. Rebranding may offer legal and operational separation, but rebuilding consumer trust is far more difficult — particularly in an industry already under pressure from declining craft beer sales and rising costs.
For North Carolina, the episode is a stark reminder that success stories can unravel quickly, and that accountability — personal, legal, and corporate — matters long before courts render final judgments.
A Line Between Guilt and Innocence — and a Chance to Rebuild
Whatever the outcome of the criminal case, one point deserves clarity: Sarah Taylor is not responsible for the allegations against her former husband, nor should her work, reputation, or future be permanently defined by actions she did not commit and could not have foreseen.
By all available accounts, Taylor acted decisively once she became aware of the allegations — separating immediately, removing Brigham from the business, and taking steps to protect her child, employees, and customers. In doing so, she drew a clear line between personal wrongdoing and professional responsibility.
The decision to rebrand Sycamore Brewing as Club West Brewing is not an attempt to erase the past, but an effort to salvage livelihoods, preserve a legitimate enterprise, and allow a business — and the people who depend on it — to move forward without being permanently tethered to scandal.
In a culture quick to assign collective guilt, Taylor’s situation is a reminder that justice should be individual, not inherited. Accountability belongs in the courtroom, not imposed indiscriminately on families, employees, or business partners who had no role in the alleged conduct.
North Carolina’s business community has long valued resilience, personal responsibility, and second chances. If Club West Brewing succeeds, it will not be because the past was ignored — but because the right person took responsibility for the future.
For Sarah Taylor, the road ahead will not be easy. But she deserves the opportunity to rebuild — on her own terms, and on her own name.
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