Geauga County Health District wants retaliation case filed by ex-employee dismissed

Geauga County Health District officials have filed a response to a former employee’s federal lawsuit alleging she was demoted and then fired after complaining of unethical practices.

Former Fiscal Coordinator Rebecca Buddenberg sued the department in March in U.S. District Court in Cleveland. The suit claims Health Commissioner Robert Weisdack, health district board members and one of the district’s attorneys were complicit in her 2017 discharge.

According to the lawsuit, Weisdack began retaliating against her in February 2015 after she spoke out against him awarding himself a no-bid contract under an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency grant for tire removal without the required approval by the Prosecutor’s Office.

Buddenberg also is accusing him of retaliating against her for telling the board about disparities in pay between male and female employees.

She claims she was forced to resigned after being demoted to a clerical position with her pay cut nearly in half to $10.25 an hour and suspended for three days.

However, county officials have a different version of events.

According to recent court documents filed by Health District attorneys Todd Raskin and Tami Hannon:

• Buddenberg resigned voluntarily effective May 27, 2017, after being appropriately disciplined for a poor performance evaluation. The evaluation noted that Buddenberg “was very aggressive and needed to be more patient.”

• The EPA grant was properly advertised for a bid, and neither Weisdack nor any other Health District employees were paid for any tire removal work using Health District money.

• Buddenberg was to be placed in a clerical division in the Environmental Health division as a result of budgetary issues — not retaliation.

• Buddenberg submitted leave requests following her disciplinary action. She was granted paid sick leave for more than one month beyond all available leave. When additional information was requested regarding her leave of absence, she chose to submit her resignation.

• The $10.25 per hour sick leave rate was appropriate for her new clerical position.

Health Department officials are asking that the suit be dismissed without cost to the county.

The case is assigned to Judge Dan Aaron Polster.

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