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Highlands Today

Appeals Denied For 3 County Workers

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By JIM KONKOLY

Highlands Today

Published: August 21, 2008

SEBRING - The three workers fired in Highlands County's Office of Management and Budget for "inappropriate" use of their instant messages lost their bid to win their jobs back on appeal.
Treasa Handley, whose duties included handling complaints on garbage collection, Jared Lee, a budget analyst, and Christine Edwards had appeals of their dismissals rejected by county Administrator Michael Wright.

Wright informed the three by sending a brief note to their attorney, Jim McCollum, who represented them at their appeal hearing before Wright last week.

Wright wrote to McCollum: "After giving deliberation consideration to the information provided by and on behalf of your clients, Treasa Handley, Jared Lee and Christine Edwards, as well as having reviewed the instant messages, personnel files and other relevant information pertaining to the appeal, I find no compelling reason to reinstate the three former employees."

Early this year, the three were fired by their boss, OMB Director Bernis Gainer. The firings were first reported to the public by Wright's predecessor, recently retired county Administrator Carl Cool.

A dozen other county employees were disciplined for violating the county's policy on use of instant messaging.

Lee, Handley and Edwards were the only county workers fired for their use of instant messaging on county computers during their work days. Disciplinary action against the others ranged from a verbal warning to several days suspension without pay.

The county clerk of court's office discovered personal messages being sent and received by county employees during a routine audit of spending to update the 9-1-1 emergency call system.

According to investigators for the clerk's office, many of Handley's, Lee's and Edwards' instant messages to each other contained sexually explicit references and some made fun of or insulted county officials, including two elected officials.

County policy states that instant messaging can be used by county employees only for county business and any personal messages sent violate the policy.

If Handley, Lee and Edwards want to appeal their firings further, their only recourse is to file a lawsuit against the county.

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

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