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County fires Teen Court director over misconduct

A four-page letter alleges she kept an undisclosed petty cash fund, often missed work and let a teen buy his way out of community service.

By ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published January 25, 2006

LECANTO - Barbara Hinkle, the Teen Court director embroiled in scandal after officials discovered an undisclosed petty cash fund used by the program, has been fired.

Hinkle's final day as a county employee was Monday, said Randy Petitt, the county's director of human resources.

In a four-page letter to Hinkle released Tuesday morning, Brad Thorpe, director of the county's Department of Community Services, announced the decision. He listed the county's problems with Hinkle's leadership of Teen Court, including the petty cash fund, questions about her work attendance and an allegation that she allowed a teen to buy his way out of community service without telling the court.

She was fired because of "a pattern of misconduct," according to the letter.

Thorpe said he thinks Hinkle truly believed in the Teen Court program, but he said the problems were too great to keep her on staff.

"Your loyalty and care for the Teen Court program is acknowledged; however, I cannot overlook the severity of your actions taken as a whole, and I believe irreparable damage has been done to your ability to continue to direct the program," he wrote.

In an interview with the Citrus Times, Hinkle said she had yet to see the letter and wasn't sure whether she planned to appeal the decision.

"I'm disappointed," she said. "I truly thought that I would be vindicated. I really thought that this was going to blow over."

She added that she was tired.

"I continue to believe that I really did nothing wrong," she said. "This has been a terrible strain."

The investigation into Hinkle and her management of Teen Court began in December after county officials learned of an unauthorized petty cash fund controlled by Hinkle. Teen Court is a 9-year-old diversionary program for low-level juvenile offenders. The teens are prosecuted and defended and judged by other teens. Community service is a common punishment.

Hinkle said she planned to continue working to serve teens.

"I'll continue to work for the kids of Citrus County," she said, her voice quiet and fatigued.

The letter detailed the allegations against her and included information from a Jan. 18 predetermination conference on whether she'd keep her job.

At the conference, Hinkle's attorney Mervin Kramer, who said he is with the London firm of Michigan-Drior, was not allowed to represent her because he isn't licensed to practice law in Florida, county officials said. Petitt said officials haven't been able to confirm the firm's existence.

Hinkle's other attorney, Jim Cummins, was not able to attend the hearing, she said.

Witnesses, including Teen Court employees, testified about the allegations.

Project manager Jerry Evans said Hinkle was often absent from work, saying she was "there less than more."

Program coordinator Israel Custodio said Hinkle's absences were an "everyday occurrence" since March and that he had to take control of the program administration in her absence.

Employees also said she kept a petty cash fund in a tin box in her desk drawer. After she was asked in December not to contact the staff during the investigation, Hinkle left a phone message for employee Judith Rausch, the family intervention specialist case manager, Rausch said. In the message, Hinkle told her she knew she was not supposed to contact Rausch but that she was the daughter of a Mason and she was in trouble.

Hinkle has five business days to appeal the decision, Petitt said. If the county's decision stands, the search for a new director would begin at earliest in three weeks, he said.

Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 352 860-7312 or vansickle@sptimes.com

[Last modified January 25, 2006, 00:55:16]