Trumbull County Commissioner requests harassment investigation
A Trumbull County Commissioner says she's being harassed at work and she wants the matter to be investigated.
But the commissioner in question, Niki Frenchko, says the person the other commissioners want to do the investigation has a bias against her so she wants someone else to look into it.
Since Frenchko took office, someone or some people have been keeping track of where she parks her car in the city and posts pictures on a Facebook page negatively dedicated to her. In those posts, there are hashtags that say things like, "private eyes are watching you."
"They are saying things such as 'I'm afraid for my life' which suggest that I should be," said Frenchko.
Frenchko says video surveillance shows one person taking those pictures appeared to be a county employee.
In addition to the pictures, she is also getting sexually suggestive material sent to her office anonymously.
The county prosecutor's office has said law enforcement shouldn't investigate these claims because they don't believe they reach the level of a crime.
Instead, they say the matter should be handled by HR. But Frenchko says a problem.
"The human resources director, who they want to hand this over to, is a participant in that group, that Facebook page that is harassing me," said Frenchko.
21 News did see comments on those pages made by HR director Richard Jackson. Jackson has also filed complaints against Frenchko.
She doubts she could get a fair investigation from his office.
Commissioner Mauro Cantalmessa tells 21 News it is HR's job to investigate these types of allegations and he believes someone in that department can investigate without bias.
Frenchko says she prefers someone outside of the HR department to do it or even outside of the county as a matter of impartiality.
Commissioner Frank Fuda says he doesn't want to spend any additional money on an outside investigation.
Frenchko tells 21 News she "won't be intimidated" by harassment and she wants the voters to know that she plans to "do whatever she can to change and improve Trumbull County."
