When Lamont McClure ran against John Brown for NorCo Executive, one of his many complaints was the way Brown stepped all over the due process rights of one particular county employee when Brown first took office. He made that point in several campaign addresses and even hosted that staffer at one of his fundraisers. That employee, Jill Mancini, was a full-time assistant county solicitor. She was summarily fired in a Christmas phone call by the Brown administration. No Loudermill hearing. No due process of any sort. Mancinci sued the county and a federal jury concluded that her due process rights were, in fact, violated. She was awarded $94,000. Her attorney was awarded $186,000. That finding was upheld on appeal to the Third Circuit as well.
After McClure defeated Brown and took over as county executive, you'd think he'd work out an award with Mancini that would be to everyone's satisfaction. Instead, her claim for reinstatement and back pay has dragged on throughout his eight years as Executive. After years of going back and forth between the Personnel Appeals Board, Common Pleas Court and Commonwealth Court, President Judge Craig Dally ruled in 2024 that Mancini be reinstated, that she be awarded back pay and all fringe benefits between 2014, the date of her termination, and 2018, when she found alternative employment. He scheduled a hearing for damages.
Instead of resolving the matter, McClure appealed to the Commonwealth Court. His appeal was quashed as a tad premature.
So once again, there will be a hearing this month in which Judge Dally will decide precisely how much the county owes Mancini.
No matter how you slice this, it's going to cost the county money. Instead of wasting time and money on appeals, this matter needs to be concluded.
It is yet another financial dagger in the heart of Executive Tara Zrinski.
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