The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

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October 17, 2012

County answers lawsuit, says fired CYS boss incompetent manager

By Joe Pinchot Herald Staff Writer

MERCER COUNTY — Mercer County Commissioners said Tuesday they fired the former director of Mercer County Children and Youth Services because “she was not competently managing and operating CYS.”

Michelle Kardasz sued the county Aug. 10, alleging she was fired because of her age, which would violate state and federal law.

Commissioners denied that they violated any laws and added that two common pleas court judges had complained about Kardasz’s management of CYS.

Kardasz, 57, of 342 W. Venango St., Mercer, worked for the county from April 13, 2009, until Sept. 1, 2010.

Commissioners John N. Lechner and Brian Beader voted for the firing, and ex-Commissioner Kenneth Ammann voted no, calling the firing unjustified.

In her suit, Kardasz said Beader gave her a letter Aug. 29, 2011, that said there was cause for concern about the operation of the agency, and the “Common Pleas Bench,” an apparent reference to the county court judges, lacked confidence in her ability.

This letter was the first time she had been told about any problems with either issue, and she had never been counseled, disciplined or warned before, she said.

Commissioners responded that Kardasz received “warnings that concerns existed about her management and operation of CYS prior to Aug. 29, 2011.”

The letter informed Kardasz she was being placed on administrative leave with pay and benefits, but she told by letter on Aug. 31, 2010, that she was being fired, effective the next day.

Ammann did not sign the termination letter.

Commissioners said they met with Kardasz on Aug. 29 and Aug. 31, both 2011, but she “had little to say” and “provided no information to the commissioners during or after the meeting in response to their stated concerns.”

At the Aug. 31 meeting, Kardasz said “she was very disappointed and believed she was doing a fine job managing CYS,” commissioners said.

Commissioners did not follow their own discipline policy or consult with the Human Resources Department prior to the disciplinary actions, Kardasz said, but commissioners denied those allegations.

Kardasz called the stated reasons for her firing “pretextual” and noted that her replacement, Kathryn Gabriel, is substantially younger than she. Commissioners responded that Gabriel is younger than Kardasz but “cannot respond to a characterization that (Gabriel) was ‘substantially’ younger than her.”

 

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