LegalNewsLine Logo  
Thursday, February 9 2012 Twitter  feedburner  yahoo  Subscribe in NewsGator Online
News | Contact LegalNewsline | About Us | Advertise | RSS
Enter search keyword
 
clear
clear
NEWSLETTER
Receive our FREE weekly newsletter
click here
Today's Offers:

LNL MOST POPULAR ARTICLES
+ Hood critical of bill that would allow officials to hire outside attorneys
+ Study shows plaintiff bias in Philly courts
+ Man, startled by bottle rocket shot out of anus, sues frat
+ Real estate agent, mortgage broker found guilty of fraud
+ Coakley, Cuccinelli to debate health care law
LNL HOT TOPICS
+ Asbestos
+ Big Pharma
+ BP Oil Spill
+ Class Action
+ Dickie Scruggs
+ Federal Government
+ Financial Crisis
+ Global Warming
+ Hurricane Katrina
+ Lead Paint
+ Sub-Prime Mortgages
+ Tobacco
State AGs 
story date  
Two more employees level allegations against Dann
MDann.jpg
Dann
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) -- He resigned in disgrace over a month ago, but former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann continues to make headlines.

Two more female employees of the Ohio AG's office have leveled several allegations against him stemming from his 17-month tenure in office which ended in his resignation May 14. They join Ohio AG employees Cindy Stankoski and Vanessa Stout, who recently filed sexual harassment complaints against Dann and two underlings. Those allegations were substantiated by an inter-office investigation released to the public May 2.

Jennifer Urban, an attorney with the AG's office since June 2005, and Molly Taylor, a longtime AG employee, raised their individual, yet overlapping claims in recent days. Because Urban's allegations include potential sexual harassment claims against Anthony Gutierrez and Leo Jennings III, who were Dann's general services chief and communications director, respectively, until they were fired for their misconduct May 2, the AG's office has requested another Ohio agency investigate her claims.

However, according to AG spokesman Ted Hart, late Wednesday afternoon, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services expressed reluctance to enter into the fray.

"I think they're afraid of setting a precedent," said Hart.

At a June 4 meeting with Stephanie Bostos Demers, the AG's Director of Human Resources, Urban detailed her allegations. In a letter from Bostos Demers to Urban, dated June 18, the HR head wrote that because the office had been officially placed on notice of potential EEO policy violations, AG policy dictated that an investigation be undertaken.

Moreover, the letter revealed that during that June 4 meeting, Urban expressed "concerns about the current administration." It also noted Urban's concerns about her caseload and desire for a promotion.

According to Hart, Urban has yet to personally request an investigation into her claims.

The other complainant, who is resigning from the AG's office effective June 30, sent a letter to Ohio AG Nancy H. Rogers on June 23 titled, "Before I go." The June communications between Urban, Taylor and other AG staffers were obtained by Legalnewsline following a public records request. In her letter, Taylor told of how she once had been proud of working at the AG's office but when Marc Dann's tenure began, the environment instantly became hostile, crude and unprofessional. She described an environment where vulgar language and "inappropriate and unprofessional behavior rapidly became the norm."

Taylor wrote she changed departments within the AG's office several times during Dann's tenure in the hopes of settling somewhere where her colleagues were pleasant and congenial. What she found instead, however, was just the opposite. Rather than face another transition when a new Attorney General is elected in November to fill the remaining two years of Dann's term, Taylor decided to leave the office altogether.

Before she leaves, however, Taylor had a few requests of the woman appointed by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland on May 21 to fill the AG post until the November elections. Taylor asked Nancy H. Rogers to provide a letter of recommendation and have 504 hours of leave restored to her bank of time to be paid to Taylor in her last paycheck. She claimed to have used those hours as a reprieve from the stressful work environment prevalent during Dann's tenure.

In an e-mail response by Rogers to Taylor on June 24, the AG reported she referred Taylor's requests to Paula Paoletti, the Ohio AG's Acting Chief of Policy and Administration. Paoletti took over that position May 2 when Gutierrez and Jennings were fired, Hart said.

Filed Under: State AGs

E-mail this article to a friend | Printer friendly format

MORE NEWS HEADLINES:
+ Hood critical of bill that would allow officials to hire outside ... - 2/8   read more
+ La. AG hauls in $25.2M from five drug companies - 2/8   read more
+ Wells Fargo changes practices for handling subpoenas - 2/8   read more
+ Jepsen wants info from ValueAppeal - 2/8   read more
+ Ind. AG sues mortgage rescue companies - 2/8   read more
+ Koster: Company indicted for falsifying mortgage documents - 2/8   read more
+ Ohio roofer sued by AG - 2/7   read more
+ Nineteen states settle with debt collector - 2/7   read more
+ Mass. AG wants Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to modify home loans - 2/7   read more
+ McGraw gains support for 'junkyard parts' lawsuit - 2/7   read more


IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
garrett.jpg
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (Legal Newsline) - A roundtable of federal and state judges from across the country will convene at the posh Ritz Carlton on Feb. 9 to address topics such as "Can MDL's keep up with state court trial settings;" "Priority of deposition examination;" "State and federal cooperation;" and "Forum non conveniens."
Read more...


+ Study shows plaintiff bias in Philly courts - 2/6
+ Fannie Mae offers examples of routine dishonesty in its fight against lenders - 2/3
+ Quaker City courts have troubled history; some reject 'plaintiff-friendly' criticism - 1/31
+ Madison County asbestos docket feeds off intake firm referrals - 1/19
+ Torts conference set for Feb. 8 in Philly - 1/18
BROWSE BY STATE:
 
BROWSE BY AG:
 
BROWSE BY DATE:
 
NEWS WIDGET:
Attention bloggers:
Add Record Headlines to your site!


fast + free- click here
NEWS | CONTACT LEGALNEWSLINE | ABOUT US | ADVERTISE | RSS © 2008 LegalNewsLine.com. All Rights Reserved.