TRUMBULL COUNTY, OH - "Right now, it's just a sad day for Trumbull County," Trumbull County Commissioner Mauro Cantalemassa said, "We have no other recourse right now."

Dysfunction in Trumbull County, rising to the level of a public meeting Friday to work out differences, but it didn't get them very far. County commissioners and employees claim Commissioner Niki Frenchko is "destroying" the county.

"To come to work every day like we're doing is disgraceful," one county employee said, "I can't sleep. I have headaches. I've had to go to the doctor. It's terrible. I treat my husband terribly. I treat my daughter terribly because of what goes on here."

Accusations ranging from the serious, such as "creating a hostile work environment" to the minute, like questioning an employee for the type of font they use in work emails, laid out in a letter drafted by five county employees who also aired their grievances at the public staff meeting Friday morning. 

21 News reached out to Frenchko, who said she's never done anything that would meet the legal definition of a "hostile work environment," which is defined as a "workplace in which the conduct of supervisors or coworkers has created a discriminatory environment that a reasonable person would find so abusive or intimidating that it impacts the ability to work."

Frenchko said she was unable to attend today's meeting due to a scheduling conflict and asked that it be pushed back by an hour, but that her request was denied. 

Frenchko said the accusations made are a "political stunt." She believes the letter from the employees was drafted with the help of the other two commissioners, Mauro Cantalamessa and Frank Fuda.

Frenchko points to a video she recorded on her cell phone of all of the employees coming out of an office with the other two commissioners at the same time the letter was sent out.

Further, Frenchko said the blame for hostility in the office stems from the behavior of the other two commissioners, pointing out that Cantelemassa publicly apologized just yesterday for swearing at office staff.

"I'm owning up to my behavior and yes I have acted unprofessionally once or twice and I've lost my cool," Cantelemassa said. 

Frenchko said the fighting is hurting the county:

"We need to move forward....it adversely affects the appearance of our county and industry seeking to work with the commissioners when all they see are weekly, nonsensical political stunts."