BENTONVILLE -- A hearing on a grievance filed by a Benton County jailer has been delayed to June 6 because of a scheduling conflict.
Tiffany DeVore, an employee at the Benton County Jail, claims in a grievance she was demoted for exercising her right to free speech. She also claims gender discrimination in documents filed with the county earlier this month. A hearing was set for Wednesday night.
DeVore said she was a disciplinary sergeant at the jail until she was demoted May 13. She asks to be reinstated, seeks payment for lost wages and "compensation for all other damages and any related costs and expenses."
Sheriff Meyer Gilbert said Thursday he couldn't comment on the allegations in DeVore's grievance until the hearing. Gilbert said the position of disciplinary sergeant was eliminated as part of a recent reorganization within the Sheriff's Office. The disciplinary sergeant was replaced by a jail investigator. That position was filled by Sgt. Micheal Lira, who had been in the criminal investigation division of the Sheriff's Office, Gilbert said.
Gilbert was appointed by the Quorum Court in April to serve out the remainder of Kelley Cradduck's term after Cradduck agreed to resign. Cradduck faced felony and misdemeanor tampering charges. He entered a no-contest plea to the misdemeanor charge and the felony charge was dropped.
DeVore claims she was demoted because she made comments in support of Paul Pillaro and Glenn Latham. Pillaro ran for sheriff in the Republic Party primary in March. Latham is running for sheriff as an independent candidate in the November general election. DeVore said she has also made comments critical of Shawn Holloway, who won the Republican Party nomination for sheriff, defeating Cradduck, Pillaro and Timothy Filbeck. Gilbert has named Holloway chief deputy for the Sheriff's Office.
The grievance will be considered at 6 p.m. June 6 by the Grievance Council, which considers claims of illegal discrimination or the county acted in an arbitrary, capricious or unreasonable manner; claims any employee treatment is unconstitutional punishment due to the employee exercising a constitutionally protected right; and claims any employee treatment, discipline or dismissal is contrary to the public policy of Arkansas. The council's findings and recommendations are advisory and not binding on any elected official.
The council is comprised of five justices of the peace appointed by the county judge. Members are Michelle Chiocco, Joel Jones, Shirley Sandlin, Susan Anglin and Kurt Moore.
NW News on 05/28/2016