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Highlands Today

Wright Hears IM Firing Appeals

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By JIM KONKOLY

Highlands Today

Published: August 15, 2008

SEBRING - Thursday morning, Highlands County Administrator Michael Wright heard the appeals of the three county employees fired earlier this year for what officials termed "inappropriate" and personal messages sent on their county instant message service.

Attorney Jim McCollum represented all three fired employees, Treasa Handley, Christine Edwards and Jared Lee.

Wright did not make a decision on the appeals by the close of business Thursday. A decision will come next week, as Wright, at the conclusion of the appeal hearings, said he planned to make a decision soon.

The hearing started at 9 a.m. and lasted about two hours. The only witnesses called by McCollum were his three clients.

The county clerk of courts office uncovered personal e-mails between Wright, Lee and Edwards, as well as other county workers, during a routine audit of expenditures to upgrade the county's 911 call system.

Officials in the clerk of courts said county policy states that the instant messaging is to be used only for county business and cannot be used for personal messages.

According to the clerk of courts office, Lee, Edwards and Handley's messages included some that were sexually explicit and some that were insulting to at least one elected county official.

The county administrator's decision is final and can't be appealed further within county government. The fired employees' only recourse then would be to file a lawsuit.

Jim Konkoly can be reached at jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com or by phone at 863-386-5855

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