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Deputy
at odds with
Crabtree agrees to
leave sheriff's office |
Sheriff's office maintains that Deputy Dan Curtiss' departure
was a mutual agreement between the two parties,
not a disciplinary action |
By Schellene Clendenin, Newberg
Graphic reporter
E-mail Schellene at scledenin@eaglenewspapers.com
|
At 5 p.m. Thursday Deputy
Dan Curtiss became a former employee of the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a separation agreement provided by the sheriff’s office,
letters had been sent by the county to the Yamhill Sheriff Employee Association on both
Oct. 31 and Nov. 5 of possible disciplinary action to be taken against Curtiss. However,
by Nov. 7, according to Operational Support Lt. Mike Runyon, the decision was made by all
parties that Curtiss would part ways with the office.
“There was no disciplinary action,” Runyon said Thursday.
“Deputy Curtiss was placed on administrative leave until 5 p.m.; after today he will
no longer be a part of the sheriff’s office.”
The agreement stemmed from an arrest made by Curtiss in August. Two boys, one
the son of former Congressman and current county corrections officer Jim Bunn, were cited
by Curtiss for reckless endangerment for firing weapons in an area near a business.
A complaint was made to Sheriff Jack Crabtree about the arrest. Crabtree said
at the time he felt the investigation was not thorough enough and reassigned the case to a
lieutenant, who happened to be ill the next day. Crabtree and a sheriff’s detective
investigated the case themselves and found no basis for the citation.
A complaint was made against Crabtree on the case. The sheriff turned the
complaint over to Yamhill District Attorney Brad Berry, who handed the case over to the
Department of Justice to investigate.
The DOJ issued a report shortly after that cleared Crabtree and the detective
of wrongdoing.
According to the agreement released by the sheriff’s office, Curtiss was
in good standing at the time of his departure. It went on to state, “No determination
has been made by the county as to whether employee (Curtiss) engaged in misconduct related
to the notices of possible intent to discipline.”
Curtiss received wages until Friday and will have access to county-provided
health care until Nov. 30; after that he will be able to continue to receive health care
as long as he pays the premiums. He will also be given accrued compensatory wages, as well
as payment for vacation time amassed, in addition to some retirement benefits.
In exchange Curtiss agreed to request no further compensation from the county
and he waived all rights to reinstatement or recall at any time in the future with the
Sheriff’s office, even though he may, according to the agreement, still apply for
other positions within the county.
In addition, the agreement stated that the deputy agree “not to lodge,
file or bring any suit, charge, complaint or any other form of action or claim against the
county or its officers, employees or agents relating in any way to (his) employment
relationship with the county.”
The agreement also included a nondisparagement clause in which the parties
agree to “refrain from making disparaging, non-factual remarks to anyone in
connection with (Curtiss’) employment with the county, his performance at the county,
his treatment as an employee or in connection with the matters encompassed by this
agreement.”
Attempts to contact Curtiss for comment were unsuccessful. |
|
From Nov. 15,
2003, Newberg Graphic
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