Roman accused of threatening employee at Register of Wills office
Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched Friday morning to the office of Washington County Register of Wills James Roman after the elected official was accused of threatening to fight one of his employees.
The employee called 911 shortly before 8:30 a.m. and told dispatchers that Roman was making threatening comments and refused to allow the employee to leave the office inside the Courthouse Square county office building, according to Washington County sheriff’s officials.
The employee had been working a side job for Roman helping him to renovate an Allegheny County’s home bathroom and was still owed $750 for the work. The employee, who asked not to be publicly identified in order to speak about the incident, said Roman then began arguing after being asked for payment just before the office was scheduled to open to the public.
Roman fired the employee on the spot, but blocked the person from gathering their belongings from a desk while trying to leave. The employee said Roman then made threatening comments and indicated he wanted to fight them. The employee called 911 and sheriff’s deputies arrived moments later to the first-floor office in Courthouse Square to diffuse the situation.
According to the 911 transcript sent to county officials, the caller told dispatchers that the “boss won’t let (the employee) leave and has asked if caller wants to fight.” While sheriff’s deputies handled the initial call, the investigation has been turned over to Washington police and the employee indicated an interest in pursuing the case against Roman.
Roman was not at his office Friday afternoon and did not return a phone message seeking comment on the incident.
City police Chief Dan Rush said the employee visited the department Friday afternoon to file a report on the incident, but it was unclear if charges or summary offenses would be filed against Roman.
Washington County Commission Chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan said she could not comment on specific personnel matters, but confirmed they have received complaints from other county employees about Roman’s behavior.
“This is not the first incident that employees have come to us with concerns for their safety,” she said.
However, she added that there was little county officials could do because Roman is elected to the position and oversees an independent row office.
“We have taken the appropriate action permissible under law, but as an independent elected official, our hands are tied as to what county action that can be taken,” Irey Vaughan said. “An elected official falls under different rules for supervision of employees than hired employees fall under.”
Last week, county Controller April Sloane subpoenaed Roman asking him to provide additional records from his office and attend a meeting with her on March 15 to discuss the annual audit of his department.
In August 2021, he was accused of bringing a handgun into the Washington County Courthouse, but he was acquitted of the summary offense because the district magistrate presiding over the case said there was no evidence that Roman “knowingly” possessed the firearm when he entered the building.
Roman, a Republican in his first term as Register of Wills, is running for reelection this year. Christina Wiles Thomas is challenging him in the Republican primary on May 16, and the winner of that contest will likely face Democrat Alex Taylor in the November general election.