The Athens County Sheriff’s Office and a former deputy filed separate motions late last month, to appeal a state board’s ruling that he should be reinstated with no back pay.
According to court documents signed by Terry Casey, chairman of the State Personnel Board of Review, former deputy Shannon Sheridan, who was fired in 2012 amid sexual harassment allegations, may return to work as a deputy as long as he will be subject to a last chance agreement. The agreement would require Sheridan to say that he understands he has one more chance to comply with all of the rules and regulations of the job.
The former deputy was also accused of making false statements to superiors during an internal investigation and mishandling evidence in a criminal investigation.
Sheridan’s notice of appeal claims that the board’s decision “is not supported by reliable … evidence,” and that the decision is “contrary to law,” among other reasons.
The sheriff’s office’s Feb. 26 notice of appeal, signed by attorney Matthew Baker, stated that the board made errors in its Feb. 13 ruling to reinstate Sheridan, including deeming the former deputy not guilty of allegedly telling a female employee that her “hooker handles … will come in handy later,” and of insubordination toward Capt. Bryan Cooper and Lt. Aaron Maynard.
Mark Volcheck, an attorney with the Erie County Public Defenders Office who is representing Sheridan, wrote in court documents dated Feb. 27 that Administrative Law Judge Christopher Young stated in a hearing that Sheridan is guilty of some offenses, though court documents do not clarify which ones, and innocent of others.
Volcheck also said in court documents that Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly believes that allowing Sheridan to return to work would be “extremely detrimental” to operations in the office.
“The sheriff is certain that Sheridan has indeed made false statements as alleged which make him untrustworthy, dishonest and not credible,” according to the documents.
Volcheck could not be reached for comment by press time regarding Sheridan’s reason for appeal.
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