Butler County must reinstate a Children and Youth Service caseworker who was fired last August, according to an arbitration ruling.

Through the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s Bureau of Mediation, arbitrator William Miller on Jan. 19 ruled the county did not have just cause to fire Laurie Kubli.

Kubli said she was satisfied.

“I’m very pleased with the results,” she said. “I think the right thing happened. Justice prevailed.”

Kubli, 50, of West Franklin Township, Armstrong County, was fired in an Aug. 22 letter. She was accused of using poor judgment in an Aug. 8 incident.

The county alleged Kubli misrepresented her status as a CYS caseworker for the purpose of interfering with custody of a child.

According to the arbitration ruling, Kubli accompanied a friend to the Karns City High School band camp, where the other woman took the classmate of her daughter from district property.

After the parents of the girl complained to the school district, the district sent a letter to Butler County banning Kubli from its premises.

Kubli was subsequently suspended before being fired in the Aug. 22 letter.

During the arbitration hearing, Kubli and her union representing — Service Employees International Union — argued she was only advising her friend on how to deal with an alleged abuse case.

During hearing testimony, Kubli admitted suggesting to an Armstrong County CYS employee that the employee investigate the abuse claim immediately.

Although the Armstrong employee did not comply, an investigation was eventually done. No evidence of abuse was found.

During arbitration, Butler County unsuccessfully argued Kubli would be an ineffective caseworker since she was barred from the Karns City School District and for having committed other infractions in the past.

In January 2012, the county sent Kubli a pre-disciplinary letter for leaving the courtroom while giving testimony in a CYS case.

In 2007, she received a one-day suspension after allegedly failing to handle a call from state police requesting CYS come to a residence while being on-call.

Miller agreed with the union that those isolated incidents didn’t negate a more than 18-year career with the county.

Joyce Ainsworth, CYS director, and county Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, declined to comment on the ruling.

Al Smith, business agent for SEIU Local 668, said he was not surprised by the ruling.

“They based everything on a bad decision, and it blew up in their faces,” Smith said about the county.

He said Kubli was doing what she dedicated her life to: looking out for the welfare of children.

“I think it was a ridiculous move on their part,” Smith said about the firing. “She did nothing wrong. She should have been commended.”

County Commissioner Jim Eckstein agreed with Smith.

“There was an absence of malice there,” Eckstein said about Kubli’s involvement in the Armstrong CYS case. “We have to err on the side of caution.”

He reiterated that Kubli’s suspension and firing were retribution for a prior union grievance filed by Kubli against the county.

“We lost a valuable county employee for four months for no reason,” Eckstein said. “We’re going to have to pay her for doing nothing.”

The amount of back pay the county owes Kubli was unavailable. She is scheduled to resume work Monday.