Vienna employee still wonders why he was fired, before being rehired

January 7, 2014 at 7:09p.m.

VIENNA

One day after township trustees voted first to terminate his employment only to restore it an hour later, Mike Penrose, long-time road superintendent and cemetery sexton, was still looking for answers.

“They couldn’t give me a reason or tell me what I did wrong,” said Penrose, 47, who appeared to have lost his job when two of the three trustees voted to terminate his employment effective in April. Following a public outcry from residents who attended the meeting and an executive session, however, Trustee Phil Pegg changed his vote. He joined Trustee Richard Dascenzo in restoring the superintendent’s employment.

Penrose is on probationary status until June, when trustees will review his performance. He is considered an “at will” employee, meaning he can be dismissed without notice or cause, according to FindLaw, a legal resource website.

The third trustee, Heidi Brown who supported termination, walked out of the township hall after the executive session and did not stay for the second vote. A phone message left for Brown Tuesday was not returned.

Penrose said he believes Brown has a vendetta against him stemming from an incident at the cemetery in 2010 in which Brown was charged with vandalism after Penrose filed a complaint. A judge later dismissed the charge. A number of residents Monday night echoed the same allegation against Brown during the turbulent and emotional meeting.

“I haven’t changed my mind,” said Penrose, who also said he has contacted an attorney.