Mar 26, 2015 4 min read

A former supervisor with the Washington County Juvenile Probation Department filed a lawsuit against the county and his former bosses, claiming he was fired in retaliation for reporting wrongdoing by his former chief.

Gregory Thomas of Monongahela filed the lawsuit Thursday in federal court and claims he was forced from his position after he was interviewed by detectives in regard to allegations about Daniel Clements, the former chief of probation who was since charged with pocketing money intended to fund mixed martial arts training.

Named as defendants are Washington County, Clements, court administrator Patrick Grimm and former deputy court administrator Thomas Jess.

Thomas, who began working with the department in 2009, claims he was suspended Sept. 26, after the investigation into Clements began.

Clements is charged with theft by deception and tampering with public records. He worked for the county since 1994 and retired prior to his arrest last October.

Thomas claims he was notified of the investigation by Jess and Grimm and was told he had done nothing wrong. Shortly thereafter, he was suspended without reason, the lawsuit alleges. After his suspension, Thomas claims Clements told him he was to “tell the detectives with the district attorney’s office that both Thomas and Clements had attended the mixed martial arts training that purchasing had approved, even though this was not true,” the suit says.

On Oct. 7, Thomas said he was interviewed and told investigators he never attended the training. Grimm then called Thomas and told him to report to his office the following day. During the Oct. 8 meeting with Grimm, Thomas claims he was open about his testimony to detectives. In response, Thomas claims Grimm gave him the choice of resigning or being fired, and told him he would “not tolerate any deception in the courthouse.”

Thomas said he had no choice but to resign. He is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.

In the lawsuit, Thomas also refers to an August 2012 meeting he said was held by former Washington County President Judge Debbie O’Dell Seneca. Thomas claims the meeting was held shortly after an anonymous letter was sent to the Juvenile Court Judges Commission claiming Clements was making inappropriate recommendations to place children at a treatment center where his then-girlfriend worked.

During the meeting, O’Dell Seneca told the staff if anyone negatively discussed the office or Clements, they would be fired, the suit alleges.

A second whistleblower lawsuit against the county is pending. David Scrip, 53, of Monongahela, claims O’Dell Seneca and Jess fired him after he reported Clements regarding the placements with Abraxas Youth and Family Services, a youth treatment and detention center. Clements also is named as a defendant in that lawsuit.

The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts investigated the claims about the Abraxas placements and found no “substantial increase” in the number of children being placed in the center. However, the AOPC did issue secondary findings including poor office morale, lack of transparency in management decisions and poor organizational communication.

O’Dell Seneca since retired from the bench. Her December retirement announcement came weeks after she was relieved of her administrative duties by the state Supreme Court. Jess’s position was cut in February, and he is no longer employed by the county.

Thomas’ attorney, David Spear, declined to comment. Washington County Solicitor J. Lynn DeHaven said he has not seen paperwork on the case.