A sex discrimination complaint filed against Butler County has been amended to include the former chief clerk being replaced last year.

According to the amended complaint filed by former chief clerk Amy Wilson with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the county commissioners discharged her effective Jan. 4, 2016, by saying she would not be reappointed.

The commissioners either reappoint the chief clerk, the top county administrator, or name a new one at the start of a new term every four years.

Wilson, 56, of Center Township was named chief clerk in late 2013 following a nearly six-year stint as former Commissioner Dale Pinkerton's administrative assistant.

The complaint states the commissioners told Wilson they did not see a role for her in their administration. The current commissioners — Leslie Osche, board chairman, Kim Geyer and Kevin Boozel — began their tenure in 2016.

According to the complaint, “I specifically inquired as to whether the termination was performance-based but received no feedback that it was.”

Although Wilson amended her complaint last year, the EEOC only recently notified the county about its nature.

If the EEOC finds evidence of gender discrimination, it would sue the county on Wilson's behalf. If the EEOC finds no evidence of discrimination, Wilson would have the option of suing the county at her own expense.

The complaint points out neither the interim chief clerk, Jerry Patterson, who began in 2016, and the permanent replacement, Scott Andrejchak, hired later in the year, had any experience as a county manager.

Patterson was the former manager for Butler Township and Andrejchak previously was the Sharon manager.

Wilson was appointed to replace longtime chief clerk Bill O'Donnell, who retired before being elected the Slippery Rock district judge.

Osche said she could not speak about the amended complaint.

“Right now, we have no comment,” she said. “It's still pending.”

County solicitor Mike English also declined to comment.

“I'm not saying anything on the record,” English said.

Wilson referred any questions to her attorney, Vicki Horne.

Attorney Nicole Daller, Horne's associate, said the sex discrimination continued when the county did not retain Wilson, who was replaced by men with no experience as a county chief clerk.

Daller said another factor in Wilson's departure was retaliation for filing the original complaint.

“It had an effect on the new commissioners,” she said.

The complaint alleges she was fired in retaliation for filing the original complaint, which alleged sex discrimination and retaliation.

Although neither side at the time would confirm whose conduct was referenced in the complaint, former county Commissioner Jim Eckstein said it was directed at him.

The amended complaint identified Eckstein as the perpetrator of the alleged gender discrimination. According to the complaint, “I have been subjected to a pattern of hostile and pervasive behavior from Commissioner Eckstein in an attempt to undermine my authority.”

Eckstein denied the claim.

“There's absolutely no sex discrimination,” he said. “I treat men and women equally. I am abrupt. Personality quirks — that is not sex discrimination. ”

Daller refuted Eckstein's comments.

“We disagree with that,” she said. “He has historically shown a pattern.”

The complaint cites Eckstein's submission of a complaint to the state Attorney General's office alleging Wilson abused compensation time while serving as an administrative assistant.

That complaint was referred to the county district attorney's office, which categorized the matter as a personnel, not legal, issue.

According to the complaint, “I (Wilson) was cleared of criminal misconduct and no personnel action was taken.”

Wilson's EEOC complaint also listed two written warnings from Eckstein about taking vacation time during the time when she should have been working on annual budget preparations and failing to keep county revenue and expenses current.

According to the complaint, both warnings were based on erroneous claims.

Eckstein disagreed.

“They're not baseless warnings,” he said. “They're well-documented deficiencies.”

Daller said the opposite is true.

“We disagree with his characterization of them as set forth in our complaint,” she said.

The complaint also lists five other female county employees or elected officials who were subject to similar discrimination.

Joyce Ainsworth, former county Children and Youth Services director and current Human Services director, previously filed an EEOC complaint alleging Eckstein discriminated against her.

The county settled Ainsworth's complaint. Part of the settlement, which Eckstein opposed, required the commissioners to attend training on how to properly treat employees.

Lori Altman, human services director, was one of three plaintiffs along with Pinkerton who sued Eckstein for alleged defamation.

The 2016 case ended in a mistrial. Eckstein paid the plaintiffs to avoid a second trial.

Judy Moser, former register of wills/clerk of orphans' court, had her solicitor send Eckstein a letter about his alleged behavior.

CYS caseworker Jodi Miller filed a union grievance in 2014 alleging harassment by Eckstein.

County Treasurer Diane Marburger also was named as a victim of Eckstein's alleged conduct.

Eckstein stressed he also was critical of male workers and elected officials, and the focus was on policy.

“It wasn't against people,” he said. “It was (against) indiscriminatory free-spending ways.”

Daller said Eckstein's treatment of women rose to a higher level than any interaction he had with men.

“It really was focused on their jobs, interfering with the terms and conditions of employment,” she said.