WHEELING — A Valley Grove couple is suing the Ohio County Commission claiming wrongful termination of employment.
Sheriff Tom Howard; the Ohio County Commission; and Chief Deputy Drage Flick all were named as defendants in the suit.
Howard Haglock and Stephanie Haglock claim that Howard Haglock was employed as a deputy with the Ohio County Sheriff's Department from March 31, 2002, until Oct. 5, 2020, according to a complaint filed in Ohio Circuit Court
The Haglocks claim he was wrongfully discharged in violation of the law.
During his employment, Howard Haglock was subjected to harassment, abuse and a hostile work environment by Howard and Flick on numerous occasions, including in 2004 when he went to tell residents during a flood that they were in danger of being trapped in their homes and his cruiser was stuck in the water, according to the suit.
A picture was obtained of the cruiser stuck in the water and Flick and Howard used the photo as their computer screensavers and was taped to the back of Howard's door. Howard also informed Howard Haglock the photo would stay there until he "did something worth replacing it."
The Haglocks claim in 2018, Flick slapped Howard Haglock on the back of the head several times and called him a name during gun qualifications.
"In 2018, during an agility qualification that included a swim qualification...Howard Haglock made the joking comment to...Flick that he was trying to kill home to which...Flick responded, 'Good, maybe you will have a heart attack and die and we can hire someone else,'" the complaint states.
When Howard Haglock was fired, he was fired without just cause, according to the suit, and following the wrongful termination, the defendants reported to the Law Enforcement Professional Standards Program that he was not fit to continue to be a certified law enforcement officer in the state.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. They are represented by David F. Cross of Wellsburg and Alex Risovich of Risovich Law Offices in Weirton.
Ohio Circuit Court case number: 21-C-119