Former COA official questions firing

Feb. 19--TRAVERSE CITY -- Laura Green sat quietly through an hours-long meeting and listened to Grand Traverse County officials criticize the Commission on Aging, a department she helped oversee for nearly three years.

Green approached the microphone during the final public comment period of a Feb. 8 study session where commissioners examined an overview of the COA's history, a quality assessment panel's findings and recommendations, and possible solutions to address several deficiencies.

Her voice trembled at times while she defended her work as the department's deputy director and operations analyst.

"There is a lot more to this story and I am not going to accept the accusations," she said into the microphone. "I have been a good soldier. I was told not to talk about the (quality assessment panel) and I didn't, but I think it all needs to come out."

County Administrator Tom Menzel and Deputy Administrator Jen DeHaan fired Green the next day.

A copy of Green's termination letter -- obtained by the Record-Eagle through a Freedom of Information Act request -- indicates her performance as well as her comments at the study session played a role in her dismissal.

The letter states Green "continued to fail to demonstrate the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to assist in addressing the multitude of issues at the COA". Additionally, county officials perceived her comments on Feb. 8 as a "direct threat" and "insubordination" consistent with county policy.

Green argued her comment was never meant to be any kind of a threat.

"It wasn't a threat to me at all," Menzel said. "It was a violation of an agreement made with the (quality assessment panel)."

Menzel argued discussions in quality assessment panel meetings Green attended were meant to remain confidential, but she violated the confidentiality in her public comments. At least two county employees on the panel were "upset" with the confidentiality violation, Menzel said.

He is not aware of any county policies barring employees from commenting during public forums and encouraged employees to do so. He also was not aware of any policies concerning employee insubordination.

DeHaan declined to comment on whether she viewed Green's remarks as a "threat".

County policy considers all county employees "at will," meaning they can be terminated without notice or cause.

Green's dismissal follows a staff realignment during the COA audit that demoted her and eliminated her former COA deputy director position, according to an Oct. 27 memo DeHaan and Menzel sent to Green. She was bumped down to office manager before her title changed to operations analyst.

The demotion resulted from early quality assessment panel findings that highlighted department deficiencies, while outlining Green's limitations and performance, according to the memo.

The memo lists eight examples of Green's performance that resulted in her demotion, including issues adhering to employment laws, understanding contract language and failing to establish and implement proper Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance policies and procedures, among others.

Green said she responded to directives by completing work including two HIPAA manuals, two COA employee training programs with 12-week courses, a reorganization plan and writing a series of COA policies and procedures covering work ranging from taking vital signs to hand washing.

Much of her work was presented to DeHaan, who either dismissed the work or never responded, Green said.

"I felt like I was dropping them into a black abyss," she said. "Everything that I was asked to do, I completed."

DeHaan said she could not comment on employee performance issues.

Green felt she was demoted for issues that were "essentially not valid." She felt it was unsafe to question the move, so she didn't challenge the action.

"If I had disagreed with the demotion Oct. 27, I would have been fired Oct. 28," she said.

First-year Commissioner Tom Mair said the county needs its own HR department to help employees, like Green, who may have issues or concerns they would like to see addressed.

As for Green's termination, Mair did not know why administration officials fired her and said he hopes it was not a result of her public comment.

"(Employees) should feel safe," he said. "Nobody should be let go as a reason because they spoke up in public."

Commissioner Dan Lathrop supported the move.

He said county officials hired Menzel and DeHaan to "make some important changes" in the county's struggling departments. Lathrop spoke to both administrators and said it appears they had good reason to dismiss Green.

"It wasn't just one event, it was a variety of things over a period of time," he said. "She just wasn't the right person for that job."

Green now is unemployed and said she likely will begin searching for new work soon. Challenging the decision has crossed her mind, but she said she doesn't see a process for action.

"I'm kind of at a loss," she said.

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