Messing With Cathy Allen's Snitch Can Get You Fired

Jason Rosati is a hard ass. Maybe it's the five years he spent as a Seabee, which included Desert Storm. Maybe it's the military crew cut, or his erect posture. But he learned early to value military discipline in over 20 years of corrections at Northampton County's jail. It has served him well, too. He worked his way up through the ranks to become a Lieutenant. He knows the importance of order at a place like a jail, which can spin out of control in a heartbeat. But earlier this month, this combat vet received a certified mail notice from the County. They intend to fire him. He's been suspended, and without pay. His terrible offense? Writing up Cathy Allen's snitch.

For those of you who don't know, Cathy Allen is supposed to be a Deputy Director of Administration. Prior to last year, she had no county experience at all. She was a high school grad who ran a two-person office. Under Brown, she's basically the Acting Executive. She runs Gracedale, Human Relations and has stuck her nose into jail operations.

I have been told she's conducting an investigation there. She pulled somewhere around 80 files and took them from the jail to the Executive's office. She began poring over old disciplinary reports, and get this, actually wanted to re-open some old files and discipline employees a second time for the same infraction.

She apparently never heard of this little thing called res judicata, or another little thing called double jeopardy. That's in the Constitution, right after due process, another principle that has eluded County officials.

When a missing pill cutter at the jail resulted in a lockdown, it is Cathy Allen who had to give the go ahead to lift it on Saturday.

Allen has a snitch at the jail, She's a corrections officer named Kim Yedlosky. She drew the attention of Secret Service agents in 2010 when she joined a loud tea party protest against Vice President Joe Biden. According to an Express Times account,

She was yelling across the street to Secret Service agents by the front door of the restaurant: "Here, do you want my wallet? Do you want my blood?" she screamed. She pointed to the rooftop of Blue and hollered, "Look, there's a sniper. Hi Mr. Sniper." One agent moved closer, watching her, but didn't cross the street. "Don't worry," she said to a reporter, referring to the agent,"he's just adding to my file."
Another protester, Elissa Sherman, 47, of Bethlehem Township, Pa., came over and told Yedlosky to calm down, and she did.

Good fun.

It may never have dawned on Allen, but Yedlosky has a real disciplinary problem at the jail. She's a feree spirit who has been written up multiple times for defying uniform policy, and has been suspended several times as a result. When it became known that she is Allen's snitch, Rosati was warned to back off and not write her up unless it is approved by another administrator.

Empowered by the Brown administration, Yedlosky has reportedly approached guards and threatened to turn them in unless they give her dirt on other prison workers, especially if it's Rosati. Unlike her, they refuse to be snitches.

Rosati, in the meantime, continued to insist that corrections officers working under him are dressed appropriately. Yedlosky came to work recently with her top shirt button left open, exposing a V-neck T-shirt and a choker necklace. Those may not be worn while on duty. Rosati told Yedlosky to button her blouse and she ignored him. She later claimed the button was broken, although she said nothing to her supervisor. As a result, Rosati wrote up the incident. Pursuant to previous instruction, he forwarded the matter to a Captain for approval, and he got it.

But the write-up was killed by Allen, and now Rosati has been notified he is being fired.

Unlike union workers, Rosati's sole source of protection is the career service guidelines. Human Resources still does not know whether he has a right to an attorney, and no date has been set for his hearing.

In the meantime, staffing at the jail is about 35 corrections officers short in a top heavy administration that includes a Director, warden, three deputy wardens, a prime care administrator and a caption, none of whom punch a clock.

Daniel Keen, the new Director, is just getting his feet wet. This ridiculous action against Rosati might be a good place for him to start.

I reached out to Rosati to discuss this matter. He declined. He's in enough trouble. But other sources at the jail have confirmed this story with me.