Health office disputes probed

High summer has brought high tension to the Abington Health Department, where longtime health agent Michelle Roberts and health board chairman Anthony Pignone are locked in an acrimonious ``he-said, she-said" dispute. Accusations include mismanagement of thousands of dollars, allegedly by Roberts, and sexually suggestive comments allegedly made by Pignone to Roberts and her secretary, Maureen Kilroy.

And while both sides have denied any wrongdoing, town and state officials have launched investigations into both claims.

According to Roberts, her relationship with Pignone began to sour last November when Pignone, who had joined the board in April 2005, made allegedly lewd remarks concerning body piercing to her and Kilroy.

``We had finished a [public] meeting talking about a body art business that had opened in town, and Anthony, Maureen, and I were in an office when he asked if we thought he should get" his genitals pierced, Roberts said.

She said neither she nor Kilroy responded to Pignone's remark. It wasn't until a few days later, when Kilroy came to her saying Pignone ``keeps hounding me about getting his hands on the pornography" that had been found on the computer of former Abington sewer superintendent Jim Howell, that Roberts filed a sexual harassment complaint against Pignone with the town.

``My feeling was, the best thing I could do was tell Michelle, who is my boss," said Kilroy. Roberts filed the harassment complaint the next day, on Nov. 28.

``I felt I had to do something," Roberts said.

Pignone denied Roberts's and Kilroy's accusations, saying they misunderstood him.

``We were talking about the body art place in a public meeting. Nothing was said in an office," he said. Asked about his reported interest in Howell's computer, Pignone said, ``Why would I want that? And why would I ask Maureen for it, anyway?" (Howell was placed on administrative leave last May and fired three months later, after images deemed inappropriate were found on his town-purchased computer at the Sewer Department office. He has filed an age discrimination complaint against the town and its sewer commissioners.)

The town has hired attorney James Lampke to look into Roberts's complaint. Calls left for Lampke were not returned.

``So far, the town has taken no action," said Pignone. ``That should tell you something."

Meanwhile, just days after Roberts filed the harassment complaint, the health board, led by Pignone, filed its own complaint with the town saying Roberts had mismanaged ``thousands of dollars" since being named health agent in 2000. Abington Town Accountant Anthony Sulmonte investigated and has found that, while the Health Department could keep better records, there was no reason to believe that money was being mismanaged.

``The copies of the receipts maintained in the department . . . do not appear to warrant this level of analysis and review at this time. A random sampling was tested and found to be in order," Sulmonte wrote in his Dec. 14, 2005, report to Town Manager Phillip Warren. ``It is my opinion that it would be fair and appropriate to characterize some items identified in the findings as areas of interest for improvement. In general, the internal controls that are in place within the Board of Health are consistent with the systemic controls currently in place within other small Abington town departments. The area for improvement is in the controls relevant to the receiving of cash payments. The internal control items exist in the BOH office as they do in other small departments . . . and in no way should be labeled mismanagement or in any way appear to be a performance issue."

Said Kilroy, ``We were simply told to tighten our control over money brought in."

But, apparently not satisfied with Sulmonte's findings, Pignone and fellow board member William Creighton reported the matter to the office of state Inspector General Gregory Sullivan. Sullivan, in a letter dated June 2, said an investigation of the health office's finances by certified public accountant George Xenakis showed half of the $830 collected at an April 2005 rabies clinic remained in a ``petty cash" box at the office. The other $415, he said, was given directly to the veterinarian.

``It is not clear why the $415 of rabies clinic receipts would be placed in this unauthorized petty cash box as opposed to being turned over immediately to the town," Sullivan wrote.

He also wrote that for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 invoices for propane tank recycling totaled $66 (22 tanks at $3 each). Meanwhile, invoices paid by the Board of Health to a tank recycling company showed that at least 788 propane tanks were recycled by the town, a difference of $2,298, he wrote.

``Based on the documentation available, we were not able to confirm that propane tank recycling fees were properly handled and turned over to the town for deposit. It is difficult to determine what actually happened to these funds," wrote Sullivan, who recommended that the Board of Health monitor all monetary transactions coming in and out of Roberts's office, as well as consider scheduling an ethical behavior seminar for health officials.

Creighton, who said he was not satisfied with Sullivan's findings and recommendations, sent a copy of the investigation to Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz. Cruz's office, in turn, referred the matter to state Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly. ``This office received the information from the IG's office and we've declined to act on it," said Reilly spokesman Terrence Burke.

Sullivan, meanwhile, has reopened his investigation following comments made in early July by Roberts to the Globe about propane tank recycling money being in a revolving account. In a July 14 letter to Pignone and the health board, Sullivan asked for documentation showing money was properly deposited into a revolving account.

``What revolving account?" said Pignone. ``That's the problem."

According to Kilroy, every penny taken in by the town from the deposit of propane tanks can be found under one lump sum called the ``CRT" (for cathode ray tube) account. ``Any money some might believe is missing is all here," she said. ``The CRT account, which is a revolving account, includes money brought in from computer screens and televisions that have been dropped off at the landfill, as well as money from propane tanks. It's ridiculous that they think money is missing."

Roberts, meanwhile, continues to work without a new contract. Her three-year term expired June 30, leaving her to wait for the Board of Health to vote on a new one.

Pignone said the health board plans to discuss Roberts's contract request in executive session at its next meeting, set for Monday .

And while Roberts is openly at odds with Pignone and Creighton, she does have her backers on the board, most notably Kathy Sulmonte and Susan Brennan.

``This whole situation has been out of hand for eight months," said Brennan, who is related to Roberts by marriage. ``It's a disgrace what they're doing to Michelle. She's a professional. She's done a stellar job for us. Why try to ruin her livelihood?"

All anyone in Town Hall seems to know for sure is that the hard feelings between Roberts and Pignone are not about to go away soon.

``The town's audit showed we should tighten up our money management. That's fine. It found nothing about missing funds," Roberts said. ``Given everything that's going on, I'm stressed. It's the last thing I think about before I go to bed and the first thing I think about when I get up in the morning."