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Richardson County Board Conducts Grievance Hearings

By John Nixon

02/10/2015

(KLZA)-- Richardson County Commissioners conducted grievance hearings requested by former Richardson County Jail Administrator David Clark and Sheriff’s Department / Jail employee Julie Houser on Tuesday.

Clark was fired from his position by Sheriff Don Pounds when he took office in January and Clark asked Sheriff Pounds for an explanation during the hearing. Sheriff Pounds said there was a hostile work environment and that Clark was cooking meals in the jail against health department regulations.

Clark said former Sheriff Randy Houser had researched the cooking issue and found no rules against it and Houser said during the hearing that he had allowed Clark to cook at the Sheriff’s Office.

Clark insinuated he was fired because Sheriff Pounds was biased because his girlfriend was related to one of the jail employees, who he felt had an agenda against him.

Sheriff Pounds said he knew prior to taking office he did not want Clark as Jail Administrator.

When Clark asked for documents to support the Sheriff’s decision to terminate him, Sheriff Pounds said he was advised by his attorney not to provide the documents at the grievance hearing. Clark asked where the information came from. Pounds said jail employees brought pictures and written documents to him, without being asked to do so.

Julie Houser, wife of former Richardson County Sheriff Randy Houser also had a grievance hearing. She said she was not given the hours she was scheduled for in January and said she felt she was being discriminated against due to being married to the former Sheriff and her age. Houser said she just wanted to know if she was fired, or to be put back to work if she has not been fired.

Sheriff Pounds said Julie Houser is a temporary part-time Dispatcher / Jailer and had never applied for a job in his administration. The Sheriff told MSCNEWS later that currently there are not full-time positions open for Dispatcher / Jailers.

Following the hearings Commissioners took the grievances under advisement and are expected to discuss the information in executive session with County Attorney Doug Merz next week.

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