Documents obtained by 21 News shed light on the reasons longtime Milton Township fire chief Harold Maynard has been on paid administrative leave since early June.


Milton township trustees placed Maynard on leave June 2, citing "multiple allegations in violation of township policy, procedure and law."


When 21 News reached out at the time for elaboration on what the nature of the allegations are, but township fiscal officer Lisa Balsinger would only say it was for a "policy violation," and would not comment on what the violation was or who might be investigating it.


21 News pushed back with a formal public records request, seeking any documentation of any complaints filed against Maynard and any disciplinary action taken against him.


Those documents reveal a series of allegations of reckless behavior by Maynard, as well as claims of gender discrimination, by several current and former members of the Milton township fire department and EMS service.


One of the letters from Milton firefighter and EMT Julianne D'Amico, dated June 1, to Milton Township trustees alleges that Maynard "sabotaged" her training, claiming that Maynard denied additional training that was afforded to males members of the department.


"I believe that the lack of medical training, and experience, has recently not only placed me under liability, but also the township......I was responding to calls alone, and conducting initial assessments while waiting for mutual aid to arrive from either Palmyra or Newton Falls. Fortunately, we did not have any major medical issues during this time; however, what would have happened if we did? Would I have had the ability to keep the patient alive in the time it took mutual aid to arrive? What if the patient had died on my watch? What liability would I, or the township, have faced from the death of a patient?" D'Amico wrote.


The letter goes on to allege that on multiple occasions, D'Amico worked overtime hours on calls and were told by Maynard to only turn in time sheets for the ten hours that were scheduled and that she would receive volunteer credit for the overtime. However, the letter claims that males on the department who also worked over their scheduled time were paid for all of the hours worked.


"Why did I receive volunteer pay while in the employment contract it states that I should have received straight pay like my male counterpart? Again, this issue has been resolved, but not by Chief Maynard," the letter says, saying that fiscal officer Balsinger fixed the pay discrepancy.


Another letter to trustees, also dated June 1, from firefighter Dave Dunn, Jr., accuses Maynard of ignoring safety protocols and mocking members of the department for following them.


These include allegations that Maynard once bragged about driving 90 miles per hour back from Columbus to answer a call and refusing to wear proper turnout gear, as well as refusing assistance from other departments when staffing levels are low.


"In a rural area where low staffing is commonplace, the best option can sometimes be to call for mutual aid. Maynard has said 'I'm not paying other people to do your job,' when mutual aid is brought up," Dunn wrote .


Dunn goes on to accuse Maynard of demeaning staff members, including mocking staff members and their families, sometimes in front of patients and referring to members who are sick as "sissies."


Other letters from firefighter Brent Liste, dated May 25, and Dave Dunn, Sr., undated, point to the night of the East Palestine train derailment in February, which resulted in a fire involving dangerous and volatile chemicals and a mass evacuation.


Milton township was one of several departments that assisted at that scene, but the employees wrote that Maynard left his cell phone and radio in the truck, making him unreachable for hours as they were left without any guidance on how to proceed inside the contamination zone. Maynard was eventually found waiting in another department's truck.


Later, they allege that Maynard argued against decontaminating the gear firefighters wore to the scene, saying "Suck it up, it's part of the job."


The gear was later bagged up and replaced upon the advice of fiscal officer Balsinger.


Another letter, dated May 26, from firefighter Mike Higgins, also echoes concerns over lack of training and reluctance to use mutual aid with other departments.


Several of the letters to trustees also refer to a brush fire in Newton Falls that Milton assisted with, saying that Maynard was not reachable by phone or radio at the scene, leaving command decisions to firefighters with lower ranks to make decisions.


"....I found myself attempting to coordinate with other departments while fighting the fire. Our chief was alone, in the woods, without a radio to communicate with," wrote Liste.


According to the complaint from D'Amico, there are 12 members of the Milton Township Fire EMS, with eight who are considered "active," meaning they routinely respond to calls.


Of those, the complaint claims, half have written letters of resignation that they are contemplating turning in if Maynard remains in his position as chief.


In addition to the current fire department employees, there are also letters from former firefighter Zach Williams, dated May 26, in which he says concerns over lack of attention to safety protocols as a main reason he resigned.


21 News has reached out to the Milton Township trustees to see when they expect any permanent decisions on Maynard's employment status.


When reached via email, Maynard replied by saying he was unaware of the allegations against him.


"To respond to these allegations at this time, this is the first I have heard of these issues.I will contact me (sic) legal representative and have a response at a later date," Maynard wrote .