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HR director, Frenchko divide widens

Commissioner accused of ‘behaving like an idiot’ in email

WARREN — Emails between the director of human resources and a Trumbull County commissioner show a continued, if not growing, divide between the two — with the latest accusing the commissioner of “behaving like an idiot.”

The two exchanged emails Friday about whether county employees have a day off for Juneteenth, a newly named federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery.

Jackson emailed staff Thursday to tell them they had to work Friday, and Frenchko responded:

“Dear staff, I apologize for Richard Jackson’s oversight of requiring county employees to work today, without formally giving our staff off Monday in lieu of our new Juneteenth holiday. It is contrary to statute, not to give a day off,” states the email to “everyone” with a county email address. “In recognition that today is a national holiday, and in effort to comply with our new state rules, I recommend that our county employees be given Monday off.”

Jackson sent an email to everyone about 30 minutes later stating the county will observe the holiday with a day off Monday and responded to Frenchko’s statements.

“I appreciate your apology on my behalf; however, I must say that you behave like an idiot. We have been working on this all morning, without your assistance, as usual. I personally called the two commissioners who actually work, to ascertain their views. In the morning, as we were awake and working, we were advised that there may be legal ramifications to our decision, which had been already made without your valued input,” the email states.

He adds, “And I doubt that many of the county staff view you as ‘dear.'”

In a statement to the Tribune Chronicle, Frenchko said she “cannot believe the suggestion that I was still asleep this morning, and that HR was addressing the matter of Juneteenth.”

Frenchko said she was told the county wasn’t doing anything for the holiday, and that no action was taken until she raised the issue.

MEETING

This month, Frenchko accused Jackson of organizing an effort to bring complaints against her after six office employees signed a letter June 9 naming her as the cause of a hostile work environment and asking Jackson to investigate. Jackson said the women came to him with the complaints, not the other way around.

In an email that day, Frenchko asked Jackson for any documents or notes from the staff meeting that day. Jackson responded there were no notes or documents, he didn’t call the meeting that he was asked to attend and while the meeting was to discuss how to divide up duties after the departure of the commissioners’ clerk, it quickly turned to the complaints the employees had about Frenchko.

“If you had been to work on time, they would have included you,” he states in the email.

She asks if Jackson can be impartial investigating the six-person complaint when he has complaints naming her.

He responds: “As far as impartiality, that may be an issue because I believe that you are a person who has no clue to what being a leader in an organization entails. I believe that you are a vindictive person who tries to manipulate people to achieve the results that YOU want to achieve. I believe that you exhibit no empathy to the women who work in the Commissioners Office. Also I truly feel that you have an unrealistic view of how an organization should function. It’s not your fault, you merely do not know nor have the experience.”

HISTORY

Issues between Jackson and Frenchko appear to have started shortly after Frenchko took office in January.

In mid-January, Frenchko initiated disciplinary action against Jackson after he told her not to get “hot and bothered” when the two discussed a staff member’s scheduling issue and for referring to the former county clerk as “queen.” With approval from fellow Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa, Jackson was given 17 days off. He then filed complaints with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and the State Personnel Board of Review, stating he was subjected to unfair treatment.

The two had clashes at public meetings and exchanged tense emails after Frenchko brought a cat to the office and an employee complained.

In a March discussion about hiring procedures where Frenchko criticized Jackson’s procedures, Jackson characterized her statements as “harassment” and said he and the employees in the HR department are not “idiots” and said he was “getting tired of Commissioner Frenchko attacking the fine people who work in human resources.”

Last week when Frenchko asked Jackson if he had updated job descriptions for office employees yet, Jackson responded he had not because he was busy “addressing other issues that you have caused, commissioner,” following the six-person complaint.

There have been other exchanges in the public meetings.

Frenchko said board president Cantalamessa should have stopped Jackson from speaking to her in an “insubordinate” fashion. “When (Cantalamessa) allows that amount of disrespect and subordination to the only female commissioner, that is telling of his beliefs and respect of women in general,” she said.

But Cantalamessa said the situation has nothing to do with Frenchko being a woman.

“How do we account for all the other complaints that have been filed (against Frenchko), many of which are by female employees? This has absolutely nothing to do with gender and everything to do with personal accountability. In order to effect change you have to fortify relationships and build consensus. It’s not just about creating policies and procedures; it’s about treating people with dignity and respect. That isn’t happening and it’s unfortunate,” he said.

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