Ex-school worker seeks whistleblower status

The prosecutor said he will oppose the former official's bid to get out of prison early.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A Salem school district worker wants her old job back and money for reporting that her former boss was stealing from the district.
Annette M. Howard of Salem is asking a Columbiana County Common Pleas Court jury to grant her whistleblower status. The jury trial began Tuesday.
But defense lawyers said they will show that Howard did not follow the legal steps needed to be considered a whistleblower under state law.
Reported boss
Howard was the assistant to Ted Cougras, the former treasurer and business manager for the district.
Cougras, 39, of Poland, pleaded guilty in 2004 to eight counts of bribery, eight counts of money laundering and one count of theft in office.
Judge C. Ashley Pike, who is hearing Howard's civil suit, sentenced Cougras to three years in prison and ordered him to repay $13,794.
From 2000 through 2002, Cougras bought $279,929 in overpriced or unneeded supplies from a Cleveland company. In return, Cougras got $8,450 in gift certificates.
Cougras this week is asking for early release. County Prosecutor Robert Herron said he will oppose the request.
Purchases questioned
Herron, the first witness in the civil suit, testified that he was contacted in December 2002 with information that Cougras had bought a desk chair and floor mats and had them delivered to his home.
Herron testified that he obtained the information from another person but that Howard was the source. The information was on a tape that Herron's office transcribed. The contents haven't been released.
Howard's lawyer, Martin S. Hume, told the jury that Howard had found paperwork ordering the chair and mats to be delivered to Cougras' home, and questioned Cougras. Howard also began to question Cougras about other purchases.
The district, Hume said, was "paying $18 for a can of bug spray you could go to Wal-Mart and pay $2 for."
Hume said Cougras began to pressure Howard to approve the purchases. Hume said that Cougras told Howard that if she didn't, "he would have his friend Guido come and visit her and her son."
Position terminated
Herron said that when his office began to investigate, he found Howard to be cooperative.
Hume said former schools Superintendent David Brobeck had implied that Herron had suggested that Howard be sent home with pay but no work to do for many months. Herron said that was not true.
The school voted not to fire Howard, but abolished her position. When Howard was recalled to work, she was given a job in the financial office as a worker, not as an official.
wilkinson@vindy.com