EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was written in response to a reader-submitted question through Open Source, a platform where readers can ask the Richland Source newsroom to investigate a question.
MANSFIELD — Recently terminated Richland County Dog Warden Dave Jordan was suspended in November/December 2016 for 10 days for making employment decisions without prior authorization.
The suspension notice said Jordan engaged in “gross neglect of duty by making employment decisions without prior authorization, which created liability for the county.”
The incident for which Jordan, 54, was suspended occurred in August 2015, according to records in the dog warden’s personnel file, which Richland Source obtained late Wednesday afternoon after a public records request.
County commissioners at the time of the suspension were Marilyn John, Gary Utt Sr., and Tim Wert. Of the three, only John is still a commissioner.
The suspension paperwork doesn’t indicate what employment decisions Jordan made or what the liability was to the county as the result of those actions. Richland Source will make additional public records requests to obtain this information.
“This suspension is issued as a corrective measure in an effort to help you improve your conduct. Unless inconsistent with a collective bargaining agreement, this suspension will be considered inactive after eighteen (18) months. Any further violations could result in more severe disciplinary actions,” the suspension record said.
Richland Source asked to view the personnel file after Richland County commissioners voted unanimously to terminate Jordan on Feb. 19.
Other than the termination, there is no record of disciplinary action in the personnel file taken by the current board of commissioners, which includes Tony Vero and Darrell Banks.
Vero declined additional comment after releasing the personnel file documents.
Earlier this week, Vero said “the separation was cordial, and we wish (Jordan) good luck in his future endeavors.”
According to documents in the personnel file, Jordan was also advised by commissioners (John, Utt and Wert) on March of 2015 that he was not authorized to conduct car stops.
Commissioners advised Jordan after he had stopped a car for excessive speed. Jordan told commissioners he had only done three to five car stops in his years with the dog warden’s office and that they were done for public safety.
“The Board would like to reiterate their position that you are not authorized to conduct car stops of this nature and hereby directed not to do so again in the future. This position is based on recent legal opinions received from the Mansfield Law Director and the Richland County Prosecutor which state that this action falls outside of your statutory authority pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code,” commissioners wrote.
Also in the file is a performance memo to Jordan in March 2005 from commissioners Olson, Wert and Utt.
The memo said Jordan:
— didn’t follow department adoption policy with a dog a citizen wanted to adopt.
— without prior authorization, illegally charged a citizen to recover his dog(s) that had been impounded as part of a criminal investigation.
— didn’t complete a timely investigation of a Nov. 10, 2004, incident.
— failed to follow-up, in a timely manner, a directive made to an employee to provide a statement regarding a Nov. 10, 2004, incident.
— failed to bring several serous disciplinary matters before the Board of Commissioners in a timely manner.
— failed to send official correspondence in a timely manner.
There are more than 200 pages in the personnel file, including numerous certificates of merit and training.
There is also a letter of commendation in 2011 from commissioners Utt, Wert and Olson for Jordan’s service to the county during a budget crisis that made the dog warden the only sworn officer in the department from May 2009 to February 2011.
On Thursday, commissioners are expected to begin interviewing candidates for an interim dog warden.
Jordan took over as Richland County dog warden in 2004 after initially serving as a deputy warden starting in 2002.
Jordan said he had been an officer with the Lexington Police Department, a supervisor at the Richland County Juvenile Detention Center and a U.S. Army veteran.
In Richland County, the dog warden is in charge at the animal shelter, which is a separate entity from the local Humane Society. The shelter itself does not receive tax dollars, but is funded through dog licenses, adoption and impound fees, and donations.
Vero said operating the shelter since Jordan’s departure has been a team effort by commissioners, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Richland County Auditor’s Office.
He said dogs at the shelter are being well cared for during this transition time.
