Fired Benton County Official Requests Hearing

Sarah Wilson
Sarah Wilson

BENTONVILLE — Sarah Wilson, who was fi red from her job as Benton County’s comptroller Tuesday, has asked for a grievance hearing to challenge her dismissal.

Wilson filed the request through her attorney, Jeff Mitchell of Taylor Law Partners in Fayetteville. Mitchell faxed a letter Friday requesting a “pre-deprivation hearing” before the county’s Grievance Council.

“I make this request within three days of my client’s termination in order to preserve her rights to contest her termination as provided for by county policy,” Mitchell said in the letter.

Mitchell also requested the county’s rules and procedures related to the presentation of Wilson’s grievance, her complete personnel fi le and a copy of the most recent employee handbook. Mitchell was in mediation Friday and didn’t immediately return calls requesting comment.

Benton County Judge Bob Clinard fired Wilson on Tuesday after having placed her on administrative leave with pay April 4. Wilson said she wasn’t told why she was placed on leave and defended her work as comptroller after she was placed on leave.

“I have just done my job,” Wilson said at that time.

Clinard presented Wilson with a letter outlining his reasons for ending her employment. Clinard wouldn’t comment on the matter beyond what was in the letter. Wilson said she had no comment after her meeting with Clinard.

In the letter, Clinard told Wilson he received an anonymous phone call March 28 telling him Wilson recently married Scott Stober, former public services administrator who was arrested July 30 in connection with theft of county property. He later resigned.

Jackie Brown and Grant McCracken, two other Road Department supervisors, also were arrested.

Stober and Wilson were in a relationship before his arrest, Sheriff ’s Oft ce investigators and Wilson said. Investigators spent several days last summer looking through records in the accounting oft ce.

Springdale attorney Joel Huggins, who represents Stober, confirmed Monday that Stober and Wilson are married.

Clinard said in the letter he told Wilson of the March 28 call.

“You did not tell me anything new at that time or over the next two days,” Clinard wrote. “The following Monday another anonymous caller reported the same thing. That report was made to the county HR department. I followed up with you again.”

Clinard said he asked Wilson “point-blank if it was true” and she confirmed it was. He said in the letter he and Wilson talked at length about her relationship with Stober after his arrest. He said Wilson told him then she was no longer in a relationship with Stober.

“I gave you the benefit of the doubt and chose to believe you,” Clinard said.

Clinard said Wilson, as comptroller, is responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of the organization. He said her continuation or renewal of a relationship with someone accused of stealing from the county raised questions about his original decision.

“I chose to suspend you with pay last Friday because I felt compelled to revisit my conclusions and decisions made immediately after the discovery of the theft and your relationship during that period of time,” Clinard said in the letter. “Over the weekend I thought about it more and I decided that there is simply no way that I can continue your employment.”

Clinard said because Wilson wasn’t forthcoming about her relationship with Stober he now questions her judgment.

Clinard said Friday he couldn’t comment on Wilson’s situation while the grievance hearing is pending. County Attorney George Spence also had no comment.

Barb Ludwig, human resources manager, said Friday the letter from Mitchell didn’t meet the precise requirements of the county’s policy, but Wilson will get a hearing.

“We believe it is suft cient that we should honor it as a request for a grievance hearing,” Ludwig said.

The Grievance Council is made up of five justices of the peace: Michelle Chiocco, Joel Jones, Kevin Harrison, Susan Anglin and Rey Hernandez.

GRIEVANCE POLICY

Timely requests for a grievance hearing for a Benton County employee include: It’s the applicant’s or employee’s duty to request a grievance hearing. The applicant or employee must timely file a written grievance hearing request after any claimed deprivation of the applicant’s or employee’s liberty or property, or any right to a hearing or to object to the deprivation shall be waived. The grievance hearing request should state: the grievance for which a hearing is requested; the factual basis of the grievance; and the relief sought.

S : B C E P M

“I chose to

suspend you with pay last Friday because I felt compelled to revisit my conclusions and decisions made immediately after the discovery of the theft and your relationship during that period of time.”

BOB CLINARD

Benton County judge

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