A Butler County Children and Youth Services employee says she filed an internal complaint against Commissioner Jim Eckstein to prevent further dealings with him.

“I just wanted to make sure I didn’t have to interact with him,” said Michelle Green, administrative assistant to CYS director Joyce Ainsworth.

Green filed the hostile work environment complaint with the county personnel department following the Aug. 14 incident in which Eckstein tried to get a CYS caseworker’s time card.

According to Green, she was following proper procedure by telling Eckstein she couldn’t provide an employee’s time card, which upset him.

“I don’t understand why he had to act that way,” she said. “You just don’t do that.”

Eckstein, who recalled being shocked upon learning there was a complaint, denied he mistreated Green.

He accused Green of not following county policy by not providing the information he wanted.

“The rules say that,” Eckstein said.

Ainsworth disagreed, saying the commissioners are supposed to go through department heads first.

“I have said they need to come to me,” Ainsworth said.

Problems began Aug. 14 when Eckstein went to the CYS office to get the time card of caseworker Laurie Kubli, who had been suspended for an unrelated Aug. 8 incident.

Eckstein was researching whether Kubli was on the clock at the time of the incident that eventually led to her firing.

The Service Employees International Union subsequently filed a grievance over the firing. The county and union are headed for arbitration to settle the issue.

On Aug. 14, Green told Eckstein she didn’t have the authority to release any employee information to him.

“He got upset,” Green said. “He said, ‘I’m a county commissioner. You will give me a copy.’”

Eckstein said his demeanor is being misrepresented.

“I’m direct,” he said. “I don’t beat around the bush.”

When Green left the CYS office to find Ainsworth, Eckstein insisted on following her.

“She said ‘Wait,’” Eckstein said. “I said, ‘No, I’m going with you.’”

Green eventually located Ainsworth, who was in a meeting with Carmine Scotece, director of county human services.

Ainsworth also refused to give Eckstein the information about Kubli.

“I never released it to him,” Ainsworth said. “Personnel is not my area.”

Both Green and Ainsworth said Eckstein started yelling at Ainsworth.

Eckstein accused the women of exaggerating.

“I didn’t yell, but I raised my voice with Joyce,” he said.

Eckstein pointed out other commissioners have yelled at employees in other instances and Scotece hollered at him before.

“He was screaming at me,” Eckstein said about an encounter outside a hearing in Pittsburgh regarding Ainsworth’s sexual discrimination complaint against him.

Scotece was unavailable for comment.

The county commissioners in December settled Ainsworth’s complaint, which was filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, by attending training covering such topics as bullying in the workplace.

Eckstein maintains his innocence in that case.

He said Green showed no signs of being distraught by their encounter.

Green conceded she didn’t lose her composure until Eckstein left the human services offices.

“I just broke down in tears,” she said.

Eckstein suggested Green was actually upset that Scotece and Ainsworth were going to reprimand her for not preventing Eckstein from seeing them.

Green, who has been a county worker for more than 19 years, said Eckstein conducted himself in an unprofessional manner.

“I’ve never been treated that way,” she said.

Eckstein argued he was not unprofessional.

“Who makes the definition of unprofessional?” he asked. “Not doing your job is unprofessional.”

The personnel department conducted an investigation into the complaint, which yielded two witnesses corroborating Green’s accusations.

Eckstein was found in violation of county policy for his behavior.

He said the investigation had no validity because the person heading the investigation, personnel director Lori Altman, is suing him for defamation.

“Is that impartial?” he asked.

Altman refuted the investigation was tainted.

“I have to act upon it,” she said about Green’s complaint. “Suit or no suit, I do my job.”

Following the investigation, Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, chided Eckstein for his behavior in a letter dated Aug. 30.

According to McCarrier, “This letter will serve as a written reprimand and formal request that you cease and desist such behavior.”

McCarrier also stated the county is under no obligation to defend Eckstein should his actions result in further litigation.

Eckstein replied to McCarrier in a five-page letter dated Sept. 5.

According to the reply: “You can authoritatively place your contemptuous, vindictive and biased reprimand where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Eckstein said in the interview McCarrier’s reprimand means nothing.

“It’s not his duty to reprimand me,” he said.

Eckstein pointed out the governor and state Senate are the only ones who can take action against county commissioners.

McCarrier agreed he had no authority over Eckstein, but said his behavior can’t continue.

“He terrorized that poor girl down there,” McCarrier said.

County solicitor Mike English declined to comment on the complaint, but did say a commissioner doesn’t face the same consequences as workers do for misbehavior.

“He is not subject to the same disciplinary possibilities as a regular county employee,” English said.

Green said the reprimand was a sufficient result of her complaint.

“I am satisfied with that,” she said.

However, Green said she still is bothered by Eckstein’s treatment of her in front of other county employees.

“It was embarrassing,” she said.

Eckstein said Green had no reason to feel that way.

“Maybe she gets embarrassed easy,” he said.

Eckstein accused McCarrier, Commissioner Dale Pinkerton, who also is suing Eckstein for defamation, Scotece and Ainsworth of degrading him by portraying him as an incompetent official to the employees.

“I feel that 100 percent,” Eckstein said. “They’re doing it on purpose.”

He said the other commissioners and county administrative staff intimidate the employees into following their plot to discredit him.

“These guys are ruthless,” Eckstein said.

McCarrier said Eckstein has only himself to blame for his image.

“Whatever he is, he portrays himself,” McCarrier said.

Pinkerton declined to comment on Green’s complaint, but did say he would not circumvent a department head and barge into an office demanding information.

“We have good people in these positions,” Pinkerton said.

Ainsworth said she and others don’t know how to deal with Eckstein.

“We’re struggling with how to work with him,” she said. “We have questions about procedure.”