Housing authority’s finance director’s suspension dismissed
The State Civil Service Commission dismissed Fayette County Housing Authority finance director Sonya D. Over’s one-day suspension in 2003 that was ordered by Executive Director Thomas L. Harkless. The commission originally upheld the suspension, but Over appealed to Commonwealth Court, which vacated that decision and remanded the matter to the commission in April 2004.
In the decision dismissing the suspension, which was mailed out two weeks ago, the commission said the authority did not present evidence of good cause for the suspension and ordered the authority to expunge the suspension from her record and reimburse her for the wages she lost that day.
“I’m pleased that I’ve been vindicated,” Over said, adding that she has already been reimbursed.
“I don’t feel she should have been suspended,” FCHA Board member Beverly Beal said.
Harkless declined to comment citing pending litigation.
He suspended Over on Jan. 15, 2003 for not providing him with a detailed description of 2003 budget revisions by Dec. 20, 2002 as he requested in a memorandum
After not receiving the revisions, he sent her another memorandum on Dec. 27 reminding her about his request.
Over responded by writing a memorandum on Dec. 31 explaining that she was still waiting for the federal Housing and Urban Development department to respond to budget revisions she previously submitted and she didn’t want to start another revision until the pervious one was acted upon.
The commission found that Over believed she was acted in good faith by providing her reasons for not complying with Harkless’s request and said she was not insubordinate.
“We find credible appellant’s testimony that when she submitted her written memorandum on Dec. 31, she believed in good faith that she was appropriately responsive to Harkless by offering her reasons for not providing him with the requested budget timeline information,” the decision states.
The litigation Harkless referred to is a federal suit Over filed after her suspended her for 30 days beginning May 19, 2003.
Harkless ordered the suspension after the board refused to follow his recommendation to fire Over for nonperformance.