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Former firefighter tells council HR should be independent of public-safety leadership after allegations of past misconduct
Summary
A former firefighter told council that human-resources functions should not be combined with the safety directors responsibilities, describing alleged bullying and threats under a previous safety director and urging a separate HR function to protect employees and preserve trust.
A former Barberton firefighter told council May 19 that combining the city's human-resources function with the safety director's office creates a conflict that left employees vulnerable when they raised complaints.
The speaker described a personal, multi-year dispute with a prior safety director and said attempts to file grievances were constrained because HR reported through the safety director. “She sent a high ranking fire official. He took me aside, pointed right my face and said, shut your email. It is none of your business,” the speaker said, recounting the event and later describing threats and sustained bullying that he said harmed his family and colleagues.
That testimony prompted council members to revisit a proposed charter change to separate HR responsibilities from the safety directors duties. Supporters argued a standalone HR office helps employees report misconduct without a conflict of interest and would provide an impartial avenue for discipline, medical and employment issues. Opponents and some council members noted many safety-staff employment issues are covered by collective-bargaining agreements and union representatives, but several members and the speaker said there remain serious non-bargaining issues — including workplace bullying and mental-health supports — that merit independent HR oversight.
Law Director Miller and the administration said they already conduct exit interviews and that HR is reviewing retention and training to reduce turnover and improve career ladders. The mayor said he would prefer to maintain flexibility and explore options that make HR effective without embedding rigid language in the charter.
The committee asked the administration to return with options for separating HR responsibilities or otherwise ensuring impartial complaint intake and protection for employees; no formal charter change was adopted in committee.
