Former director filed complaint

The former director of Northumberland County Transportation Department has filed a gender discrimination complaint against the county, claiming she was unfairly demoted to another position.

Jacquelyn F. Klemick confirmed Monday night that she initially filed a claim with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in September 2008, claiming she was unjustly demoted from transportation director to assistant director in the county information technology department on April 4, 2008. Dennis Hepler replaced Klemick as transportation director.

But due to an error in paperwork on the part of EEOC, Klemick said her original claim was closed, forcing her to wait more than a year to file it again on Dec. 28, 2009.

She said the EEOC then ruled the claim had merit to file a charge through the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, which recently sent back the charge to the EEOC, while waiving its 60-day period to take action on the charge. Klemick is awaiting word from the EEOC on what action it will take.

Klemick resigned from the county June 6, 2008, after being transferred to serve as assistant director in the information technology department.

County Chief Clerk Kymberley Best said Monday paperwork dealing with the gender discrimination charge has been turned over to county Human Resources Director Joseph Picarelli.

But Best believes the charge is not valid since it was filed more than 180 days after the date (April 4, 2008) of the alleged discrimination. Best said the deadline to apply for an extension to the 180 days also has expired.

When contacted Monday night about the complaint, Commissioner Vinny Clausi, who took office in January 2008, said he wasn't made aware of Klemick's transfer to the information technology department until four days after it was done because he was out of state at the time. "I wasn't aware we had a new transportation director until I came back from Maryland," he said.

Clausi, who declined comment about the charge filed by Klemick, said Hepler was appointed to the position by Commissioners Frank Sawicki and Kurt Masser.

Masser reserved comment about the complaint because it is a potential litigation issue. Sawicki couldn't be reached for comment Monday night.

Klemick and her daughter, Jennifer V. Bowers, former operations manager for the county transportation department, who resigned May 26, 2008, told county commissioners and the state last fall they had uncovered "absolutely atrocious" mismanagement of funds by Hepler.

Hepler, whose actions were labeled as "fraud" by Clausi at last week's commissioners' meeting, has since defended the practice of double billing the county Area Agency on Aging as necessary to recoup lost revenue.

But with the county and PennDOT probing the finances related to the Shared Ride program, the criticism of Hepler and his self-defense is growing.

Klemick and Bowers recently provided pages of documents to The News-Item documenting what they said is fraud after Hepler defended himself against Clausi, who has called for his immediate resignation.

Also questioning Hepler's facts is John Campbell, manager of Shamokin Yellow Cab Co. He said Hepler lied about what the taxi service charges senior citizens for rides, and believes the transportation department is in disarray due to poor management.

Hepler claims there was no criminal intent, fraud or personal gain by his decision to "double charge" the aging agency and the Shared Ride program the past six or seven months for transporting senior citizens in Shamokin and Mount Carmel to local destinations. Hepler said he overcharged the agencies in an effort to recoup some of the money his department lost during the past year through a contract with Shamokin Cab that he claimed charged $6.35 more for transporting seniors than the transportation department.

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