AUSTINTOWN Appeals court upholds firing
The man's last day on the job was Thursday.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- An appeals court has upheld the township trustees' decision to fire a road department employee who has a long disciplinary record.
Matthew F. Romeo's record includes reports of three accidents with township vehicles, one of which he failed to report in a timely manner; using a township trash bin for personal use; pouring coffee on a foreman during a break-room altercation; sleeping on the job; and being rude and belligerent with a supervisor in public. He was fired in 1998.
The 7th District Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that a magistrate from Mahoning County Common Pleas Court was correct when he determined that Romeo should be fired.
Township Administrator Michael Dockry said Thursday was Romeo's last day on the job.
Appealed decision
Romeo had appealed the trustees' decision to fire him to the State Employment Relations Board, contending that the township committed an unfair labor practice. He cited his support for unionizing the road department as the reason for his dismissal.
SERB agreed with Romeo, only to have its decision overturned by the magistrate. The appeals court agreed with the magistrate, stating that he had "conducted an exhaustive review and did a credible job demonstrating justification for Romeo's discharge."
Dockry said he wasn't surprised by the ruling.
"I felt the magistrate's ruling was logical; it was correct," he said.
Romeo had argued that the magistrate incorrectly based his decision on testimony to SERB.
The magistrate's decision should have been based on SERB's final ruling, he said.
Romeo's attorneys did not return calls to comment.
hill@vindy.com